The Flames of Konoha
by Lloydirving0
Summary: A Fox's desire to be released early from its container causes an unforeseen consequence. As two teens forge a bond stronger than steel read about the Elemental swordsman and Knuckleheaded Ninja's journey to save the world. T for now maybe M later.
1. Prologue

A short stocky man with a red beard pulled on the reigns of his cart slowing down the horse in front of the gate to Konoha. He paused to marvel at the village hidden in leaves taking note of the buildings and its people.

" _So this is where you came from my old friend."_ The man thought as the two gate guards approached him.

"Hello traveler," One said in a slightly friendly but cautious tone, "What brings you to our village?"

"I've come to seek refuge for myself and the lad in the back," the man at the front of the cart replied, "I have an old friend here who said if I was ever in need of a place to stay to come here."

The guard eyed the man slightly taking in his appearance. The other guard walked up with a clipboard and asked the next question as the first guard walked to the back of the cart, on alert in case it was a trap.

"What are your names?" the guard with the clipboard asked as he got out a pencil to write with.

"My name is Dirk and the lad's name is Lloyd Irving." The now named Dirk said unbothered by the scrutiny he was getting.

The first guard peeked into the back of the cart seeing an anvil, a dresser, tools, a couple lumps of metal, pots pans and other generic stuff for a home. He also noticed a small boy who could only be 5 or 6 sleeping in back with a red jacket and brown hair. He flashed a quick hand signal to the guard with the clipboard before returning back in front of the cart.

"What is with the anvil?" the first guard asked joining his companion at his side a little less tense on account that so far Dirk was looking less and less like a threat.

"I am a blacksmith by trade and took everything I could to continue once we got to settle in," Dirk responded.

"Last question," The guard with the clipboard said without looking up, "Who is this friend of yours?"

"Well judging by the fact you have his face on yer' mountain," Dirk said pointing to the Hokage Mountain at the other end of the village, "you all must know him quite well… Minato Namikaze."

When Dirk said this both Guards looked up at the stocky dwarf with wide eye expression that quickly turned to anger the guard without the clipboard waved two fingers in the air as the clipboard guard now looked at Dirk with disdain.

"I thought you said you were here to see a friend?" The guard said in a monotone that was rising with anger.

Dirk unaware of what was wrong answered honestly, "I said I come to seek refuge with a friend who told me to come if I ever needed a place to stay, but yes I would honestly visit my friend since it's by his word I've come here now. Actually, if it ain't too much trouble why not go fetch him he would vouch for me since there seems to be some kind of problem?" Dirk said in questioning tone. This seemed to set the two guards off and with a final hand signal; the cart was soon surrounded by a squad of ANBU.

"It's bad enough you try to sneak into our village with the poor refugee excuse, but to claim to know the Yondaime and NOT know he died," the guard spoke to the wide-eyed and terrified Dirk with icy venom laced in his tone. "I don't know what village you're from but they need to get updated information before they try this again!"

If Dirk wasn't shocked before he was certainly shocked now. "Minato dead…," he said closing his eyes when he opened them again the pain was evident on his face. "If only I had known then I made more of an effort to come visit sooner. I was so looking forward to seeing how everything turned out for ya…" Dirk muttered.

"Enough of your lies," the guard yelled with heated breath, "Tell us who sent you now or enjoy your time with our interrogation team."

"Dwarven vow number four" Dirk began in an angered tone of his own. "Lying is the first step toward thievery." He stuck a hand into the cart pulling out a box tossing it at one of the guards. "I am not lying when I say I knew Minato or that we were friends."

"Enough." The Lead ANBU soldier said in a monotonous but powerful voice, "Take them away." He commanded and the rest of the ANBU squad closed in on Dirk's cart.

Dirk was about to shout in protest since no one bothered to look inside what he tossed to the guard. When another masked ANBU ninja blew in with a whirlwind of leaves. "Stop," the new masked Ninja said halting everyone.

"You should be protecting the Lord Hokage, Inu" The lead ANBU stated masking his feelings in a monotonous voice.

"Lord Hokage would like to have a word with this gentlemen, he has tasked me to bring him to his office," Inu replied lazily as if he had better things he could be doing than saving Dirk a trip to Ibiki.

The lead ANBU stared at the dog masked ninja without saying a word. Behind his own masked raged an inferno of anger and contempt for Inu, who once again was meddling in business he should stay out of. After a few tense moments an unseen, unheard signal was given and the ANBU squad called by the Guards disappeared in the same way the new ANBU had appeared in front of them.

"Now that that's settled," Inu said in the same tone as before, "Dirk was it? I am to accompany you to see the Hokage. We should be on our way its best to not keep him waiting."

Dirk was unsure if he even wanted to go into the village now, after all, it was only moments ago when both he and the unconscious six-year-old were almost arrested. This was a moot point, however, because Dirk was smart enough to realize that if he ran he soon be caught and would look guilty of being the untrustworthy person the guards thought him to be. "What about the lad and my cart, after a warm greeting like that I kind of doubt the safety they would be in left alone out here," Dirk said not mincing words or hiding the tone of his anger in what just transpired.

The boy can come with us unfortunately, the cart well have to remain here you have my word it will be left untouched IF you return," Inu said as if he had already known that question was coming and preplanned the response.

Dirk though stubborn by nature saw the futility in arguing with the ninja even if he were to bring the cart straight to the Hokage's office door the fleet-footed shinobi could still destroy it in an instant if they wanted too so it wouldn't be safe. Cursing in Dwarven tongue he nodded at Inu. "Where can I park this so it is out the way?"

Inu nodded in return and directed the dwarf to the inside of the gate to the parking area of sorts for out of town carts. After Dirk parked the cart Inu came over and picked up the still sleeping Lloyd. Dirk while hesitant at first said nothing to this, though only 6 the boy was about as tall as Dirk now and been awkward for him to have carried the boy. Inu lead Dirk through the village as several civilians and shinobi stopped and stared at the two. They stared at Inu because even though ANBU were to be seen as shadows not meant to stand out in public eye, Inu had still garnered some fame or infamy as being one of the protector ANBU of the villages Jinchuuriki. They stared at Dirk because of the diminutive size compared to the ANBU beside him, and his physique, in general, he was a curiosity the likes of which some had never seen.

"Hmpf," Dirk began noticing the stares and whispers, "Act like they never seen a dwarf before."

This comment caught Inu by surprise, though with the mask and his training to not show emotion you wouldn't have been able to tell. The trio safely made it to the Hokage tower without incident and was now standing in front of the receptionist/secretary to the Hokage.

"I'm sorry without an appointment you will not be able to see the Hokage today, he is much too busy to take anyone without an appointment today." The elderly woman behind the desk said without looking up.

"Ya haven't even asked us fer our names yet and you're already turning us away," Dirk responded, while Inu kept quiet smiling with glee behind his mask at the argument about to unfold.

It was no secret that the elderly woman was a pawn of the civilian council and though her job description may read as ASSISTING the Hokage in his day to day activities. What she actually did was keep everyone away from him as the council try to usurp more and more power into running Konoha. The third Hokage realized this early on into his second reign, however, and with the use of some seals left by the former head of the village and having a banner pole installed next to the only window to open up in his office… was instead solidifying the power the Hokage held especially with the Shinobi part of the council when he wasn't drowned by paperwork.

The secretary let out a very audible sigh of disdain, "Fine what's your name?"

"Dirk I was…" Dirk started but was quickly interrupted

"Not on my list," The secretary responded in slightly mocking tone. "Come back tomorrow maybe The Hokage will be able to speak with you then."

Dirk became red in the face by the blatant disrespect, Sure he wasn't some noble or the Chosen one, but damn if he be slighted again by someone who couldn't even look him in the eye, the first being the guard with the clipboard. Very quickly the interaction between the secretary and the dwarf bubble down to nothing more than a shouting contest, much to the joy of the Inu masked ninja. After a few minutes of the back and forth between the two, Inu calmly walked over to the door and knocked twice in a particular spot releasing chakra with each strike causing a seal on the other side of the door to light up.

"Enter!" The Hokage muffled voice answered from the other side of the door. Inu pulled Dirk away from the secretary both two heated into the argument to notice what Inu did.

"Lebiz tad was a taraglos taror!" Dirk said as the door slammed shut.

The Hokage sat at his desk stunned for a moment never heard the language Dirk had just spoken and half expecting the Peculiar man would realize where he was. When it became clear that this wasn't going to happen, the Hokage faked a cough grabbing the dwarf's attention.

"I have brought the man causing the disturbance at the gate as you requested Hokage-sama," Inu said with a slight bow.

The Hokage gave a slight nod then with a wave of his hand dismissed Inu who once again Shunshin away, the whirlwind of leaves he and the ANBU used before, after setting the young boy down on the couch that sat in the office. In actuality he only moved to a corner he had vacated to retrieve the dwarf but with the small genjutsu, adapt skills, and a few seals Dirk would be none the wiser if he was here to harm the Hokage or Konoha. He would not get the chance.

"Now then, I am the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, leader of the village hidden in the leaves." The Hokage began as he sat up in his chair. "Dirk was it… I've asked for you to be brought to me because of your claimed relation with my predecessor and former successor Minato Namikaze, our Yondaime Hokage." Inwardly he thought, _"Rather legitimate claim or not it does take some time out of all this blasted paperwork."_

Dirk looked at the aging man behind the desk with scrutiny, _" what does it matter if I knew Minato?"_ Dirk thought at first, _"If I am to believe he is the leader of this village why would he take time out of his day to question me personally, I shouldn't probably look a gift horse in the mouth, though."_ Dirk decided he would go along with being questioned by the leader of Konoha after all, he might figure out why this was a big deal for them. Dirk nodded his head and said "I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Dirk took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk.

The Hokage gave Dirk a small smile before speaking, "Come in," A Blonde hair shinobi walked in from the open window wearing a jounin outfit.

"Hello," the unnamed man said unceremoniously as he stood to the side of the Hokage.

"This gentleman is Inoichi Yamanaka he really great at discerning the truth from lies, so this point forward what you say I highly suggest be just the truth." The Hokage said to the dwarf in a non-threating but powerful tone, "Now then, how did you know the Yondaime," The Hokage asked his face no longer having the smile it had moments ago but instead a stern neutral face much like that which was carved on the monument behind his office.

Dirk sat back into the chair still weary of the two in front of him but without much of option he spoke "I met Minato years ago back when was a young lad," Dirk stopped and scratched his beard a moment as he looked up to ceiling trying to recall, "Think he said he was a genin," Dirk said with questioning tone if he pronounced it correctly," of Konoha whatever that man used a lot of strangest words I never heard before like sensei, shinobi, Konoha, though I now know it's your village…"

"We get it," Inoichi said getting Dirk back on track.

"Ah…sorry," Dirk said slightly embarrassed "any way he said he was on his first mission outside of his country when his team was attacked. The last thing he remembered was falling into a purple colored whirlpool before he awoke in a cave above my house. That was sight to see some blonde hair boy with a metal plate on his head in weird clothes tumbling down a hillside" The man chuckled as he thought back to the memory as the two in front of him sweat dropped.

"Tumbled?" This time the Hokage spoke up.

"Aye, it was early morning and I was getting ready to start digging a trench for a little river I was planning to have to go in my front yard, Next thing I know I hear this loud yell and turn to see something with yellow hair tumbling down the mountain side." Dirk responded still thinking back to that time, "As he was rolling down he hit this bit that was slanted outward rolled off of it and it launched him high into the air till gravity took hold of him and he plummeted down right through my roof."

The two shinobi listen intently at this far-fetched story. Both thought back to how the Fourth Hokage was and could easily picture this happening while he was a fresh genin. _"He probably would still do it today if he were alive and could get away from Kushina long enough."_ Both Ninja's thought solemnly.

"So I patched him up, he helped fix my roof and a week later he gone back up the mountain side and never came back." Dirk continued, "At first when he started talking about the whirlpool I had figured he had hit his head harshly when he fell. When he didn't come back I gone up looking for the lad and found no trace of him and no whirlpool… I prayed that maybe he gone back home and not been captured."

"Captured?" The Hokage asked. Dirk then went on to explain how where he lived was close to a human ranch and how the Desians would kidnap humans to stuff into the ranches to do manual labor till they perished.

"So imagine my surprise when the lad showed up back in my roof a few years later." Dirk continued after his explanation of the Human ranch,

"Don't you mean on?" Inoichi said interrupting the dwarf once more.

"No, I do in fact mean IN," Dirk corrected as what he told them next made them both face palm. "He had come up with this new technique that would help him with this war you all were having he told me he crossed enemy lines to come to me so he could get stronger. Much like last time he claimed to have found the whirlpool again and when he come out of it, fell off the cliffside and got stuck halfway through my roof

"Why did he come the second time exactly?" Inoichi asked with slight pink mark on his head, "Not to be rude but I feel no chakra at all coming from you," Though not vocalizing the fact, the Hokage also sensed this, "either you're a master of hiding your chakra, the likes the world has never seen before, or the more likely scenario you have such a minuscule amount of chakra that you would have never been considered to become a ninja."

"Chek-RE?" Dirk said puzzled at the word he pronounced incorrectly, "Never heard that before, and Aye I was never a ninja. Too many jumps and useless movement I say after watching Minato practice. True fighting should be done face to face with both feet planted on the ground."

Dirk ranted for several minutes about how true combat was supposed to be fought. To both his and the Hokage's surprise Inoichi, quietly at first but quickly rising voice, started shouting back defending the art of fighting ninja would use. Both got into a very heated argument that went on for several minutes. Inoichi denouncing Dirk's way of fighting as too costly for both sides in a fight even if you won you still walk away horribly injured or worst. Dirk stating that their no honor in the sneak tactics ninja's would use. This was put to an end when the Hokage gave a very forced cough that conveyed that the debate of the art of war was over and continue answering the question nearing ten minutes ago.

"Sorry," Dirk mumbled the apology before speaking normally, "Minato came to me, not for battle practice but because I was a blacksmith and helped him make the knife in that box I gave to your gate guards."

The Hokage pulled out said box from his robe as if he had it the entire time, baffling Dirk as to when and how the older of the two ninjas in front of him acquired it. Opening it up revealed a special three prong Kunai that both immediately recognized. This made no sense to either man since both knew that the Yondaime Hokage had made these by himself. The only other person who would have been trusted to make them would be Kushina. Very possible that while rare to find Dirk could have just forged this himself and is trying to pass off a forgery. Yet if that was indeed the case wouldn't Dirk very obvious limited knowledge of the ninja world not be so… limited?

" _He hasn't shown any of the tell-tale signs of lying,"_ Inoichi thought, _"Maybe as far-fetched as the story sounds it might be true."_

The ninjas looked at each other and had a telepathic conversation in their minds thanks to Yamanaka's clan jutsu. He shared with the Hokage his findings of the interview, interrogation, and how he was starting to believe this story. The Hokage let out an audible sigh and then issued the order that they been putting off. Inoichi looked at the dwarf as he made a hand sign, Dirk confused was about to say something when his world went black. Inoichi had proceeded to use another one of his clan's jutsu one that allows him to search through someone else's memories.

After a few minutes of silence, Dirk/Inoichi said, "Dirk/Inoichi taught the Yondaime how to forge his special kunai for his signature technique he wanted a unique kunai that were more durable and…" Dirk/Inoichi audibly sighs at this," Stylish than standard. I believe he had Dirk help since from his other memories I can see he is quite skilled in forging and if everything else is to be believed with where Dirk lived very few would be able to duplicate it." _"The skill it takes alone to make a pretty good forgery would have to be done by a master."_ Inoichi/Dirk thought.

"Rumors could be spread about the kunai and add infamy to an already deadly jutsu," The Hokage said interrupting Inoichi. _"Well, that explains one of the many mysteries you were surrounded in Minato"_ The Hokage thought as he nodded to Inoichi to end the Jutsu. Dirk body slumped into the chair as he began to lightly snore.

"There one other thing my Lord," Inoichi said back in his own body, "the kunai seal is different from the others I've seen, Like raw first draft for his technique on it. The Yondaime gave it to Dirk for safe keeping in case he passed away before passing on the flying god technique."

Dirk awoke to the two Ninja's staring at him once more waiting patiently for him to wake up. "Why's my head feel like I was out drinking last night like a young beard fool." Dirk half mumbled while putting a hand to his head.

"I apologize, Dirk," the Hokage said, "we had to search your mind to make sure what you said was truthful, the pain should die down in a moment, now that we indeed know who you are why are you looking to take up residence in Konoha?"

"From what I saw in your mind you were living in a nice place by yourself in the woods, nice home you built," Inoichi spoke as if he stood at Dirk's very home at one point, "It seems such a shame to give all that up, and if you don't mind me saying so you seem to be the type that enjoys the solitude that you had."

True to the Hokage's word the pulsing pain Dirk had felt in his head was slowly ebbing away however the frown on his bearded face remain, "It's for the lad…I ran across his mum one stormy night a few years back…she had been a runaway from the Human ranch that was nearby," He sighs and face contorts with grief, "She was taking her final breaths when I got to her. The poor soul had fallen from a cliff after taking a deadly sword stab through the stomach there wasn't much I could do for the young lass. She had been clutching to the boy for dear life who as far as I could tell hadn't been hurt and asked me to keep him safe… Dwarven vow number two never abandon someone in need. I took the boy to raise and protect at my home and buried her in the garden." Dirk looks over at the boy who rolls over falling off the couch and waking up; he chuckles lightly at this before looking back at the ninjas. "Your right, I didn't want to move but HAD to in order to keep my promise. Things were getting worst the desians were becoming bolder in searching the woods. It was only matter of time till they found my home. I thought back to Minato and remember him telling me about Konoha, and if I ever needed help to come find him here. It was a last ditch effort but I went to the cave one more time and found the whirlpool this time, it was some kind of magic, you would probably need an elf or half-elf to figure it out. We jumped in and came out somewhere on a hillside near another village. We didn't go in, though," Dirk pulled out a hand-drawn map with message on back side. "Minato gave me this last time I saw him in case I ever needed to come to him."

The map was, to no surprise, that of the land they were in now with an x on the mountainside near the village of Iwagakure a hostile village to the leaf. It was no surprise that Dirk would have been told to stay away from it since that village was one they were at war with during time Minato probably gave Dirk the map. Even today while not in a war, most Iwa ninjas had kill on sight orders for any Konoha ninja, the Hokage frown at this even though the war had been over for a while now there was still so most animosity out there between the five great ninja villages.

Lloyd slowly got up and walked over to Dirk rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Dad, have we gotten to your friend's village yet?" The boy said before he comprehended where he was at. Once the boy did realize it however he stood behind Dirk as if hiding from the two other people he could see in the room.

Dirk chuckled at this, "Aye lad, we made it somehow without you drawing any bandits or other things thanks to your snoring." This caused the adults to laugh as the young boy fumed the somewhat harsh atmosphere from before was no longer there.

Done with questioning and seeing as it was getting late, the Hokage welcomed Dirk and Lloyd into the village doing the necessary paperwork then and there to make them official citizens. Dirk could swear he heard him mumble something about paperwork but didn't say anything. At his request, the Hokage locked up the kunai in the vault to keep from unwanted hands if someone else besides the intended recipient were to learn the Flying Thunder God jutsu there be no telling what damage it cause. He did promise Dirk though that when time was right a certain person would receive the blade as the person he believed the Yondaime wanted to pass the technique down to was already walking among them even if that person was unaware of it at the time.

With help of the Hokage day's later Dirk was able to get a small cozy home on outskirts of the merchant district large enough for him to make forge. He would continue his trade until the end of that year before both he and Lloyd were admitted to the Konoha Hospital. The doctors tried to do everything for the two even to point requesting the Hokage to send a message to one of the Sannin, Tsunade, to see if she could combat the mysterious illness that was slowly sucking the life out of the two as day by day they became weaker. Tsunade never came, and sadly Dirk passed away after being confined to the hospital room for two years, The last thing he ever did of significance, and years later was guessed to probably be what saved Lloyd's life, was give him his mother's final gift, a round sphere he had the doctors attach it to the boy with a mounting piece he called a key crest. The doctors attached this strange item to the boy's chest instead of his hand like Dirk had requested but this didn't stop the effects of the strange sphere from saving the boy's life. While the boy still got weaker as the days went by the noticeable day by day changes were 10 times slower than what they were for the dwarf. This gave Lloyd another gift, a gift that two people needed but only one received time. Enough time to meet a knuckle-headed orange jumpsuit ninja in training on a night that would become the start of an adventure.

 _ **A/N**_

 _ **That does it for the start; let me know what you all think. For those of you that only know of NARUTO Tales of Symphonia was a game that came out back in 2003 in japan and rest world a year later on the GameCube and PS2. Since then it's been re-released in special anniversary editions on ps3 and Steam. For those Symphonia fans who have never heard of Naruto. It was anime/manga came out in Shonen Jump back in 1999 with first anime adaptation showing in US in 2005. I won't go too much into eithers plot here since both are easy to find online.**_

 _ **That does bring me to my next point however since the world were starting in is Naruto the beginning will be Lloyd heavy, and when we take our trip to Sylvarant and Tethe'alla it will be more Naruto focus. This does not mean we won't follow Naruto at all in the start of this, It just means that the elemental swordsman will be our main focus. Likewise we will still have parts of chapters following Lloyd as we begin the Journey of Regeneration.**_

 _ **I still plan to continue both this and Bargain Ally so those who were able to look past the mistakes in my first story and liked it don't worry it will continue.**_

 _ **At this time I know the story will contain Pairings but I don't know who will be with whom. Doing a crossover opens up the chance to have pairings never done before since were taking two worlds and combining them. So if you have a suggestion leave with your review.**_


	2. Chapter 1 Snake not Ram

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**Chapter 1: Snake not Ram!**

A 16 almost 17-year-old Lloyd stared up at the plain white ceiling in his hospital room, staring blankly up at the tiles. In his mind one phrase continued to repeat in his mind; "I'm bored."

Today had been a bad day for Lloyd Irving who spent most of the day awake, as his body refused to let him sleep anymore. This would have been ok had he been able to leave his bed sadly, that wasn't the case. For Lloyd, if he was too awake to sleep it just meant being mentally aware of every slowly passing minute. Everything the boy could do to pass the time he had already done a hundred of times before. Thinking about repeating one of those activities just sent a chill of dread down his spine.

 _"_ _If only I had the energy to practice with my blades even if it's for only a few minutes."_ The teen thought as he looked at the night stand to one few preciouses memento's from his Dad, Dirk. Lying on top were some, worn with time carved daggers dirk made for him on the road when they first left for Konoha. Staring at them brought back the memory when Dirk first gave them to him.

"Now Lloyd you sure you want to start training?" Dirk asked the young child who nodded his head slowly but with growing enthusiasm causing the dwarf to close his eyes and sighed in thought, _"I think the lad is too young to be training with a real weapon…but this is the first time he has shown such enthusiasm… I'm not blind and can see the pain still there in his eyes but…maybe it would help him work through the pain while he practiced."_ Much to the boy's dismay, Dirk had given him the wooden daggers instead of swords. When he confronted Dirk about it the dwarf nearly shook his head and said, "Lad you wouldn't be able to hold a one-handed sword right now, even if you could you be training all wrong and never able to use a sword correctly as you always be used to using something larger than yourself. Stick with these daggers for now when you're older we'll look at getting you some swords then.

Lloyd frowns as he looks at the worn wood on his nightstand. All the training he had done with them for naught. His eyes started to mist over, when his thoughts turned to his surrogate father, Even though the Dwarf passed on some time ago, Lloyd never truly got over his death. Before depression took over the teen lying in bed, a younger teen came barreling in through his hospital room's door. The intruding teen had blonde hair, blue eyes, an orange jumpsuit and a large scroll on his back.

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked as he weakly grabs the wooden dagger by his bedside, "you are clearly not a doctor, what do you want?"

The orange wearing Intruder quietly shut the door behind him before turning around to face Lloyd; he placed his two hands together in pleading fashion. "Please be quiet I'm in a middle of a test."

Lloyd sweat dropped at this, "A test in here? You really need to work on your lies." Lloyd took an audible big breath of air preparing to scream out.

The Intruder crossed the room and quickly covered Lloyd's mouth. "I'm not lying Mizuki-sensei said I could become a ninja if I took this scroll and learned one jutsu from it."

Lloyd stared at the blonde his gaze piercing through the younger teen, who asked a question of his own. "Who are you, I've seen all the villagers in Konoha at least once and don't recall ever seeing you."

The intruder removed his hand from Lloyd's face who rasped out, as the adrenaline was slowly washing off, "I asked you that first!"

The blonde grinned as he decided to answer the first question he was given, "I'm the famous Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be the next Hokage believe it!"

Lloyd looked at the blonde for a moment before replying in a neutral tone, "I've never heard of you." Silence echoed in the room only to be broken up by sounds of several footsteps raced against the hall outside the door Naruto came in.

"Where did he go? Has anyone seen a blonde hair brat?" muffled voices came following the footsteps.

"What did you do," Lloyd asked coming to a clear conclusion that Naruto was the one being chased.

"H-How do you know it's me there looking for," Naruto responded before quickly adding, hoping to keep the older teen from yelling out, "Hey you didn't tell me your name."

Lloyd sighed at this, "It's Lloyd, and I know it's you they are after, because of the way your acting."

Naruto put his hands together begging once more. "Please don't turn me in I haven't learned my jutsu yet."

Lloyd stared at the boy for a few moments long enough for the commotion outside to have died down before he came to a decision. Shaking his head, "this test sounds too fishy to me especially with the commotion going on I'm sorry Naruto."

Lloyd took a deep breath in again to yell but before he could get a single word out something obstructed his Vision and he felt himself being picked up. "What's going on?" Lloyd said panicked as he tried to squirm out of whatever had him. This soon stopped when he heard a grunt before the sound of Glass breaking. The next thing he felt was a draft and feeling of weightlessness.

"Hold on tight," Naruto said with mirth in his voice landing with the scroll on his back and Lloyd over his shoulder.

"Naruto," Lloyd yelled as he felt gravity take hold of him again and felt the wind blowing against his head. "Stop I'm not wearing pants!" He yelled louder than he had meant to which caused the blonde to chuckle before responding.

Naruto looked to his passenger and scowled while sprinting towards the side gate, "How do you think I feel, I have to look at your butt, out of the corner of my eye."

The two continued to go back and forth as Naruto kept running to his predestined meeting place with Mizuki. Lloyd soon stopped struggling, though embarrassing he knew he didn't have the stamina to get away from Naruto. Truth be told deep down he was enjoying being outside even if it was only in a hospital gown. The breeze had a different feel to it than the passing glances he get from time to time when the nurses would crack the window in his room open.

Back at the hospital moments before Naruto kidnapped Lloyd:

All the shinobi in the village were looking for Naruto. A few, though realizing it unlikely, decided to check the hospital. Since so few decided to check the hospital, however, all available personal at that time was forced to help. One such nurse was stuck watching the end of the hall Lloyd's room was on after the ninja cleared it in case Naruto somehow slipped past them. She was just a civilian nurse and wouldn't be able to stop the orange-clad boy if he chose to attack. This terrified the nurse as paranoia had her believe that this would happen. She had no idea how she would stop the child who was currently being trained to kill. That's why when the sound of breaking glass was heard the nurse paled and about passed out. When that didn't happen, her next thought was to run and get one of the shinobi to look into it. If she did this without solid proof it was Naruto and if it wasn't she would have wasted their time which means having her stay long as a guard by herself. She would also have to worry about the patients by the time she returns if the commotion was one they could be seriously hurt or worst. Steeling her resolve she walked to Lloyd's room and timidly opens the door. What she saw would haunt her for rest of her days, on the window sill getting ready to jump out was a shadowy figure with one of her patients on its back. She took a step back out into the hall and released the door. The door squeaked as it started to close alerting the figure who turned its head to look at her. Blue eyes stared into her soul as a toothy smile, illuminated by the moonlight, before the figure was gone as gravity did its job. Gravity decided to put in a little overtime as the nurse fell over, passed out in fear, onto the hallway floor.

To Naruto's surprise the nurse who saw him jump out the window hadn't made a sound. Stranger yet, after his initial outburst, the brown haired teen over his shoulder had stayed quiet as they left the confines of the village and enter the woods. Naruto wasn't about to openly question this strange bit of good fortune and in no time made it to the place he was to meet up with Mizuki. Naruto without the grace and guile of a ninja, as one might expect him to have, unceremoniously dropped Lloyd to the ground. This caused the brown haired boy to fall out of his musing and let out a grunt of pain as dirt was kicked up around him.

Lloyd slowly got up taking in deep breaths of crisp fresh air and mentally went through a checklist over him on anything broken from being dropped. When he was sure he was fine he stood up on shaking knees and said, "You could have set me down you know?" The blonde haired boy didn't say a word as he was already engrossed in the scroll looking for a cool new jutsu. Lloyd stood there for a moment before sweat dropping and sitting next to his kidnapper.

This did catch Naruto's attention, who looked up as he tried to wrack his brain as to why Lloyd would sit next to him. Multiple reasons raced through his mind, one particular one kept coming up and Naruto face turned to one of fear, "H-Hey I like girls, it's fine if you like guys but I'm not into you."

It took Lloyd a moment to process what Naruto just said. When the lightbulb clicked Lloyd became self-conscious of how close he was to Naruto. His cheeks redden in anger and embarrassment as he slid a little away. "That's not why I'm sitting here!" Lloyd yelled louder than he had meant too.

This caused Naruto to stop and stare at Lloyd's reaction. Naruto began laughing as he said, "Oh you want to learn a jutsu too right? I'm sure the test would apply to you to then!"

Lloyd's face took that of a somber one as he shook his head as he wrapped his arms around his curled up knees to his side. "It won't help…I wasn't born with chakra coils…probably why I'm withering away in a hospital bed. It's probably why my dad died," Lloyd muttered the last part in frustration.

"Huh?" Naruto asked not sure he heard correctly.

Having brought up Dirk, Lloyd was reliving the last time he seen the dwarf healthy years ago and then the last time he saw Dirk alive, how his skin had gone from a healthy bronze to a ghostly pale, like the fresh linens for the beds they change Lloyd's bed in every few days. He shook his head coming back to the present and answered, "No chakra coils no chakra, no chakra no jutsu."

Naruto was at a lost, as he skipped most classes, and the ones he did go to he ended up getting into trouble one way or another. Long story short Naruto had no idea what chakra coils were. So he shrugged and went about learning the first jutsu that spoke out to him once he found it he stood up and stretched before making a single hand sign and shouting, "Kage Bushin no jutsu!"

A couple of seconds went by and nothing happened except frustrating Naruto and confusing Lloyd. Naruto in his frustration got back into the stance again and tried once more this time adding more chakra than the previous time. "Kage Bushin no JUTSU," Naruto yelled out.

Lloyd's mouth hangs open in shock as this was the first time he had seen a clone jutsu, a cloud of smoke appeared next to Naruto and when it cleared a clone stood there smirking at the successful attempt.

"You did it B…" The clone started to speak before disappearing in another puff of smoke, much to the shock of Naruto.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Lloyd asked noting the visibly shaking of Naruto but unable to read his face as his back was to him, "I mean it's the first time I've seen a clone of someone appear out of nowhere but I don't see how a second of two of you would make a difference…"

"Why is it that clone jutsus never work for me" Naruto burst in a frustrated rage, "I gather the chakra as best as I can, perform the hand signs, and say the name correctly," His fist was clenched in fury before his whole body sagged as he became teary eyed, "why won't it work…"

Lloyd could hear the pain in the younger teen's voice, A pain he always heard in his own voice whenever he became too restless in his hospital bed. Lloyd grabbed the scroll to read about the jutsu Naruto was trying, as the blonde shinobi tried again in several quick successions the same Jutsu hardly putting any chakra into it. This caused more failures and slowly whittled down Naruto's large access of chakra.

Lloyd sighed as he read wanting to help the poor blonde shinobi wannabe but didn't know how he could. _"Kage Bushin...ugh that's too hard to pronounce I'll just say shadow clone"_ Lloyd thought as he read, _"differs from other clone jutsus as it makes a solid clone with its own chakra supply, masters of the technique can adjust how many clones and how much chakra each gets however until mastered, one must put at least half of total chakra into the clone in order to have any success, this is extremely dangerous and consuming jutsu that can kill a person with too little of chakra."_ Lloyd looked up to see Naruto had moved to a tree on the outline and was blowing his anger on punching it before he goes back to working on the jutsu. "Naruto did you read this?"

Naruto audibly scoffed, "No, I looked at the pictures."

Lloyd picked up on the obvious sarcasm and held his tongue before he got into argument with the only person who knew he was out here. "Did you actually read it or just skim it…how much chakra are you putting into the jutsu before ah….casting it?' Lloyd was unsure if that be the correct verb to describe using a jutsu.

Naruto didn't show any emotion to Lloyd's words and just answered, "Duh, as little as possible it's a clone jutsu after all."

Lloyd rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers doing his best to keep his cool, "come here read this again it may help."

Naruto rolled his eyes but grudgingly walked back and read the scroll carefully this time. His eyes open up wide in realization as the sour mood he was in morphed into excited delight. He dropped the scroll and got back into his stance grabbing as much chakra as he could before performing the Jutsu once more. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu," Naruto screamed out as once again a puff of smoke soon followed. Once it cleared there stood another Naruto with a grin and giving him a congratulatory good guy thumb up to the original."You did it boss," the clone said never taking his thumb down.

The Original Naruto reached out grabbing the hand of the clone whose eyes open in shock before being dragged to dance with him both shouting in joy. "I did it," over and over again.

Lloyd allowed the celebration to go on for a few minutes before he started shivering, as the wind blew. "Naruto would you stop playing with yourself and get me back to my hospital room," Lloyd managed to get out between shivers.

The Narutos stared at Lloyd sweat dropping because of his use of words before the clone spoke up. "Why do you want to go back you seemed pretty content when I dragged you out here?"

The original Naruto nodded his head agreeing with the clone. "Besides I still have to show the jutsu to Mizuki-Sensei or I won't pass."

Lloyd shivered again "But you aren't the one in a hospital gown."

The two Naruto's looked at each other before an idea came to the mind of the Original. "I know so that we have no hard feelings let's take a vote. All in favor of staying here and waiting for Mizuki-sensei raise your hands, "both Naruto's raised their hands up, "well majority with the staying here."

Lloyd stared at the two Naruto's before yelling in protest, "That's not fair." The three argued for a time before ultimately Lloyd gave in drawing his leg's closer for warmth. He at one point attempted to convince the clone to take him back that way Naruto would be able to wait however, the clone had tripped and hit its head hard enough in the fall to dispel itself. Lloyd was going to ask Naruto to make another one but decided against it if the clone tripped again before getting to the hospital Lloyd would be all alone with no one to rescue him.

Naruto for his part was ready to learn another jutsu, believing he could pass with where he was at with the Kage Bushin already and looking to take Lloyd's mind off the cooler weather. "Hey I know maybe there's a Jutsu in here that could give you coils."

"You really think an answer to all my problems would be found in the random scroll your teacher had you get?" Lloyd asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Why not it is a forbidden scroll maybe the jutsu so consuming like the Kage Bushin and no one could perform it, Naruto tried to rationalize.

Lloyd didn't buy it but as there was nothing else for him and Naruto to do but wait he nodded to Naruto giving him the ok to look. Little the boys knew, however, another being had heard the conversation. Deep in the soul of Naruto was a cage with the greatest terror Konoha has ever known. The Kyuubi a Giant red-orange fox that almost in one night destroyed a village that has stood through two Shinobi wars.

 _ **"**_ _ **hmmm the boys want a jutsu, huh?"**_ a large smile spread across the muzzle of the caged beast as he watched through Naruto mind's eye waiting for a particular jutsu to cross the vision of Naruto, when the one he waited for did, the fox for the first time since being sealed into the boy tried to communicate with him.

 _ **"Narutoooo,"**_ the demon said in a hushed whisper, _**"use that one the Dead demon consuming jutsu."**_

"What who's there Kami," Naruto yelled in his mind at the new voice he was hearing.

 _ **"**_ _ **This is your mind Naruto,"**_ the demon couldn't help but chuckle at what he said next, _**"you don't recognize my "voice" because you've hardly ever listened to me."**_

 _"_ _What was that?"_ Naruto thought insulted by his own mind.

 _ **"**_ _ **Use that Jutsu there the only thing able to help your friend would be something above the mortal law and since the Kyuubi is sealed…"**_

 _"_ _You mean dead."_ Naruto corrected, _"The Kyuubi was killed by the 4th Hokage. You should know that."_

The Kyuubi fumed and gritted its teeth, time was of the essence before the orange-clad idiot figured out he was NOT arguing with his mind. _**"Gaki, just do as I say that jutsu is a summoning jutsu when the Shinigami appears to ask it for its help and it will lend it to you."**_ The fox lied.

Naruto thought about it and shrugged having also skipped the day Iruka had talked about summoning jutsus and contracts you need for them. He once again quickly scanned the scroll for the hand signs once he believed he had them memorized he stood up and walked several paces in front of Lloyd.

"Lloyd stand up, I figured it out," Naruto said as he started performing hand signs.

"You're serious," Lloyd asked disbelieving Naruto but stood none the less.

As Naruto performed the seals the fox said them aloud in the boy's head _**"Snake, Boar, Ram, Rabbit, Dog, Horse and Snake."**_

Naruto on the second snake signs Ram before calling out "REAPER DEATH JUTSU."

The Kyuubi realizes the boy's mistake and shouts, _**"SNAKE, NOT RAM,"**_ but it was too late as the chakra is sapped from his jailer for the technique.

The two boys looked around expectantly however they see nothing. Behind Naruto, however, stood the proud Shinigami who for the first time in its existence it felt bewilderment. It wasn't because of being summoned, nor was it how it was summoned with the improper hand seals; it was why a Shinigami was summoned. It intended to find out and reached out to the soul of Naruto grasping it firmly and using it to pull itself into the real world.

Lloyd's face was that of horror as he sees a tall ghostly figure appeared behind Naruto. Naruto followed Lloyd's eyes and turned around staring in shock at what he saw. The two boys were on the verge of fainting when the Shinigami spoke.

 _ **"**_ _ **Why have you summoned me, NARUTO UZUMAKI,"**_ the Shinigami roared Naruto's name.

Naruto takes a moment to collect himself before turning and taking a step toward the shinigami, a cocky grin on his face, "I summoned you to fix Lloyd believe it."

The Shinigami was again at a loss, unsure what to make of the boy's stupidity, The Shinigami ended life at it's proper time or when summoned took the caster's soul as payment for ending another's life before it's fated to end. Yet here the orange-clad shinobi in training was not asking for the death of the one in front of it. As it tried to decide on how to approach this conundrum, the Shinigami felt another force one it recognized deep within the blonde boy. With one swipe it knocked the soul of the Kyuubi from Naruto who had squatted down to try to avoid being hit. Luckily the hand merely fazed through him grabbing only what the Shinigami had wanted. Naruto counted the tails on the fox that was ripped out of him and froze when the realization hit him of what the beast was.

 _ **"**_ _ **What is the meaning of this KURAMA?"**_ The Shinigami shouted at the 9 tail fox.

 _ **"**_ _ **Put me down death and do your job the boy summoned you to kill the other boy with payment being his life,"**_ The Kyuubi ordered.

 _ **"**_ _ **You have not answered my question. Answer it or die,"**_ the Shinigami said in a neutral tone.

 _ **"**_ _ **I don't answer to you; your question is beneath me,"**_ Kyuubi responded in arrogance. _**"Like you could do anything to me."**_

The Kyuubi was right there was nothing the Shinigami could do to it who because of the priority placed on it and any of the tailed beast, for that matter, when they died they only return to life after a few years. Memories still intact, the only work around having been the seal that had sealed the fox into Naruto. As the other half of the nine tails was still trapped with Minato Namikaze.

 _ **"**_ _ **Hey you idiot do your job already I grow tired and I need a paw rub once you're done."**_ The fox demanded.

Now, normally the Shinigami kept its emotions in check, and would not act on them. It was often wondered if the god of death even had feelings at all and wasn't just some cog in the wheel of life and death. However, something sparked in its eye's at the sound of the Kyuubi's order. _**"UZUMAKI, you wish to fix your friend, LLOYD IRVING correct?"**_ The Shinigami ignored the Kyuubi's soul as it lashed out in fury attempting to destroy everything and everyone but unable to do so as it had no physical body. Naruto with glassed eyes just Nodded to the question? Half aware of what was going on.

 _ **"**_ _ **Very well, know that it comes with a price,"**_ The shinigami materialized yet another hand and it waved in the air in giant circles. An image of what looked like Naruto older with a black hair beauty and two children. _**"Your future will be payment what happens after this choice will be without a path to follow. No guarantees you will end up happy in the end."**_ The Shinigami said before grabbing Lloyd with its free hand.

"W-wait what are you doing?" Lloyd asked though was not answered because he wasn't the one to summon the Shinigami and wasn't the Kyuubi the Shinigami choose to ignore his complaints.

The Shinigami hand on Naruto pushed the boy to stand in front of the dragged over Lloyd. The Shinigami's hands moved back away from the boy's before slamming into the two boys squishing them together.

"Finally, now that you got rid of the two of them I demand my body back so I can once again be feared." The Kyuubi said.

 _ **"**_ _ **All parties involved in summoning** **me** **have to pay a price"**_ The Shinigami responded and for the second time in existence the Shinigami showed some form of emotion, happiness, or maybe it was enjoyment. The reason why was soon made clear when two more of the Shinigami hands appeared around the Kyuubi's soul. One grabbed the fox's front paws while the other grabbed his back ones. In no effort at all the two arms pulled and ripped the Demon's soul in half. These halves quickly reconstituted into two quarter Kyuubi souls before being pushed toward the still closed hands of the Shinigami around the boys.

 _ **"**_ _ **NOOOOOO"**_ the souls yelled in unison as the hands slowly opened sucking the fox's inside.

The Shinigami paused before continuing what it was doing went against its nature and would destroy it should it continue. Its existence would end if it went through with what it was doing, another Shinigami would, however, emerge to assume control of the job however it would not be IT. In its final moments, the Shinigami had made one final comment that had it been heard would have answered the question about it being a cog in the game of life or not, _**"At least I got to stick to Kurama."**_ Slowly the Shinigami faded out of existence as it worked the souls together and separated them once more. The Shinigami disappeared fully and the bodies of the two boys lay where they had been squished perfectly alright though with some differences.

For Naruto, the world seemed to lose it color by a few shades as he felt a weird painful sensation work its way through his body. Painful wouldn't be the right word more like an annoying itch that seemed to work from his heart and out through his entire body flowing near the nerves.

While this was going on a wealth of knowledge poured into his head, every good memory, and every bad one Lloyd had ever experienced Naruto was experiencing all at once as if he was there in Lloyd's body, everything Lloyd had read and retained Naruto now knew, These were no longer just Lloyd's memories they were his as well. Every lesson on dwarven runes with a step-father he never knew before. The trip to Konoha, learning how to fight with two wooden daggers pretending they were swords. Growing weaker and sicker from some strange illness, watching the same befall the dwarf who raised him. Gaining hope when the Hokage came to visit and talked about a letter he sent to an old student who was a prodigy when it came to medicine. The heartbreak as he watched the last hope in Dirk dies when the Hokage told him that the student wasn't coming. Even the final argument Lloyd and the doctors had with Dirk about what an exsphere was and why Dirk wouldn't put it on himself but put it on Lloyd. The whole experience took maybe 5 minutes but for Naruto, each memory was happening in real time. Tears leaked out as he watched his Dad's final moments.

Naruto/Lloyd was in a field chasing a girl his age he recently met from the hospital. She had come in a few weeks ago with some burns and a broken arm she had gotten from protecting her brother from some men who wanted to hurt him.

"You can't catch me, Lloyd," Ayame yelled back at Naruto who looked like an 8-year-old Lloyd. Naruto jumped at her grabbing her waist both laughing as they tumble down a grassy hill. Rolling to a stop both laughed and stared up at the clouds.

"Caught you," Naruto said with a closed eye grin, but after not hearing the giggle from Ayame he had expected he open his eyes to see a blank expression across her face.

"Start heart compressions," Ayame said in a voice not her own.

"What," Naruto asked as he stared at the expressionless Ayame.

"We're losing him Doctor!" a new voice came out of Ayame's mouth.

The world shook then and went black before Naruto blinked. He was back in the hospital room like he was when he had fallen asleep. What was a quiet night was now a chaotic morning as the room he shared with his dad was filled with nurses and doctors? The jostling movement that awoke him having been a younger nurse who taken a step too far back and hit his bed. Naruto's eyes grew wide as he realized they were huddled around Dirk's bed. He watched as his dad started thrashing about throwing off the nurses who were desperately pressing down on his chest.

"DAD, what's going on, what's wrong with my Dad" Naruto yelled out as he tried to get out of the bed.

"Someone keeps him back," The head doctor said with authority, "sedate him if you must he'll get in the way otherwise. Just then Dirk's eradicate movements stopped and his body went limped falling back onto the bed. The Buzzing sound grew louder.

"Doctor he's flat-lining," a nurse said as another one came over pushing Naruto back onto the bed wrapping her arms around trying to soothe the preteen.

She whispered words of comfort to the boy, telling him it would be ok that they do everything they could to save him. She knew and he could tell by the hollowness in her voice that this was the end for Dirk. Soon enough this was proven true when the Head doctor shook her head and cursed, grabbing a clipboard and tossed it to the ground. A nurse took that as the signal to turn off the heart monitor. One of the other doctors went to retrieve the clipboard giving Naruto a final look at Dirk. A look that would give him nightmares days after, Dirk's eyes open mouth slightly agape in what looked like agony and fear. Dirk's skin was pale and lifeless sagging across his face as the muscle that had been built up underneath deteriorated from the extended stay in the hospital and the mysterious disease that had now killed him. The head doctor looked at Naruto. Their eyes meet before Naruto's started watering up. She quickly threw the sheet over Dirk's body to hide him from view but it was too late and Naruto burst into tears. The nurse who had her arms around him continued to try to comfort the boy who eventually cried till exhaustion took him. The next few days were a blur of times being awake and asleep in tortured nightmares. As the days went by, Naruto felt like his world was turned upside down. What made it worst was because of the illness Naruto wasn't able to attend the funeral for Dirk, who was buried in the unnamed mass grave the village had for those whose family couldn't afford a personal plot.

Physically one of Naruto's eyes changed from the vast deep blue to a dark chocolate brown. His golden blond hair now had one cowlick that was also brown now. He would Later be thankful that it was only the one cowlick and not his whole head. The final thing that changed was a small orb was now embedded into his chest similar to Lloyd's own. When the itching in his nerves stopped Naruto couldn't explain it but somehow he felt as if something was missing like he wasn't completely whole.

The Shinigami's words played in his mind once more _**"…it comes with a price…"**_

For Lloyd, there was a pain as something forcibly worked its way into his body something foreign but with it came to a sense of power and the gray world was not so dark and colorless anymore. The pain, however, was the worst he had ever experienced and he blacked out more than once from it. Only for the pain to revive him to feel it all over again and again It clawed and burned from the tips of his fingers to every single hair. He tried to cry out but the pain was so strong it kept him silent. Naruto's life flashed into his mind as he was forced into each one living through them as if they were happening now. Every beating, he received from the villagers, the rocks that were thrown at him, the times he was kicked out of shops quite literally just for having walked in. He relived every prank Naruto pulled on the village. Tears leaked from his eyes as particularly painful memories ate away as his soul.

It was his 5th birthday and it had started off fine. The owner of the Ichiraku Ramen stand had offered the boy a free meal for it having been his birthday. However, when word got to him about a mob looking for the young child he had hidden Lloyd in his house. This was the first time he would meet Ayame, the daughter of the chef. Though only eight years old, she tried to soothe the younger Lloyd by making his favorite dish ramen, right when she was going to serve her house guest his meal. Three civilians had kicked in the back door. One knocked the girl hard to floor and another had tipped over the large pot she had on the stove.

"Naruto run ahh!" Ayame screamed before the pot landed on top of her arm burning her.

"Leave Ayame-Chan alone" Lloyd ran at the three home intruders. He threw a punch at the first one though the man just grunted unhurt by it.

"YOU DAMN DEMON DON'T TOUCH ME!" the first one Lloyd had punched said before kicking him away.

The commotion brought the Ramen chef from the front of the house that doubled as the ramen stand. Upon seeing Ayame and Lloyd on the ground he charged the men. "Run kid I'll hold them off" He yelled at Lloyd before grabbing a knife off his apron and holding it out menacingly at the three intruders. "I'll make you regret hurting my daughter!"

Lloyd slowly rose from where he had been kicked too. Obvious to him that at least one rib was broken from that kick. He stood there in fear before being yelled at once more. "I SAID GO NARUTO!" Lloyd with tears moved as quickly as he could out the house through the entrance the Ramen chef had used. He needed to find help for the first two civilians to have ever shown him kindness. As quickly as the boy could he ran for the Hokage tower wondering where the ANBU who usually showed up to stop the villagers from doing this were at. As he turned one corner however the boy ran into a Pink hair girl with a very large forehead.

"What did you do that for?" a blonde hair girl shrieked at him, "Can't you see we were walking here huh?"

The pink hair girl slowly got up rubbing her head with an arm that had a newly skinned elbow. "I-It's alright Ino I'm sure it was an accident, I'm fine after all."

"Sakura he needs to be taught a lesson, he can't go around shoving girls," The now named Ino said back to the pink haired Sakura, "beside you can't let this stand or it will hurt your warrior pride if that happens how will you ever become a kunoichi?" Ino ranted.

Lloyd struggled to get up his chest on fire from the kick, breathlessly he managed to wheeze out, "I-I'm sorry please don't hurt me," tears streaming down his face.

Ino eyes went wide, "are, are you actually crying?" This only caused Lloyd to cry even louder, "Stop crying you're a man aren't ya?"

"Ino stop you're scaring him," Sakura said defensively, "Look see I'm alright were not going to hurt you." Ino sighed and folded her arms looking away. Mumbling about being too soft on boys get you in trouble later down the road but Sakura tuned her out. "We were on our way to my house if you want you could join us and maybe we could be friends?" She smiled brightly stopping Lloyd's tears as he stared at her. The pink hair, the green eyes, soft complexion, Lloyd was smitten and felt his face heating up.

"OH I get it you think he's cute huh forehead?" Ino said to Sakura who hadn't realized she had been staring at Lloyd as long as he had been at her.

Blushing Sakura turned to the Blonde, "that's not it I just think he wants a friend is all, and what did I say about that nickname."

Ino started laughing at her blushing friend "you can't hide it from me Sakura I can see it now Sakura and …" she paused then looked at Lloyd, "Hey you what's your name anyway?"

Lloyd was still confused by what was happening before he could answer though he remembered why he was running anyway, "Please help me the ramen chef and his daughter are in trouble."

"There's the demon get him!" as the same three villagers that had broken into the ramen chef's house yelled down the street. Lloyd looked back to the two girls a look of fear on his face.

"What does he mean by the demon?" Sakura asked Ino who mouth hung open as she gasped in recognition. Before she could say anything though Lloyd got up and ran once more to get away from the approaching mob not wanting to see someone else get hurt because of him. Or for the cute pink hair girls face twist into hate once she was told who he was.

Tears streamed down his eyes as he ran. Eventually, the villagers caught up to him and would do their best to beat the life out of him before a dog masked ANBU showed up and saved the boy. Who to the ANBU'S surprise was more worried about the two who helped him than himself. He gave comfort to the boy in telling him both would live. He did not tell him that the girl would be in the hospital as result of her injuries, however.

Physically, Lloyd had the same happen to him that had happened to Naruto where once was a brown cowlick was now the golden blonde of the boy's across from him and one eye now a deep ocean blue instead of the brown it used to be. However, unlike Naruto Lloyd's body had taken a radical transformation. No longer did he look to be on death's door as his body had miraculously gained, comparatively, as much muscle as Naruto had. His breathing was no longer haggard, his complexion darkens to a more healthy tone and his face was full.

Lloyd thought everything was over and started to sit up only to fall back writhing in new pain as a seal formed on his stomach. He felt something powerful become sealed inside him. It was angry it was evil and it wanted his blood. This new pain put the pain he felt before to shame. It seemed like it went on forever and Lloyd strongly wished he had a knife to end his life right then and there to get away from it.

Naruto and Lloyd were out cold for a few minutes adjusting to the new changes and trying to make sense what happened. When both were able to sit up they looked at each other.

"That was..," Lloyd started but didn't finish as he took in big gasps of air still stinging from the pain.

"Yeah," Naruto said standing up slowly, "It was like I lived through your past."

Lloyd nodded in understanding as an awkward silence took over the forest before Lloyd sighed and said. "We both have now lived through two lives and they both sucked, man we got the worst luck…"

Naruto stared at Lloyd like he grew a second head processing what he said before a small smile broke across his face as did Lloyds and they both started laughing. This was what the boys needed to release the tension from the experience they both just went through. This was how Iruka found the two boys. He would go on to interrogate Naruto who would tell him about how Mizuki had told him about a secret test so he could become a shinobi. Before Iruka could set the record straight though Mizuki appeared.

"Naruto, get away from both of them they want to kill you," Mizuki said as he landed on a branch behind the three.

"What?" Naruto asked confused.

"Iruka no everyone in the village hates you do you know why? Mizuki said as he reached around his back to grab a Fuma shuriken from his back.

"Mizuki don't tell him," Iruka yelled out, "It's against the laws set by the third Hokage!"

Both boys stared at Iruka and Mizuki but didn't say anything. Mizuki for his part was laughing with glee at how he believed this would destroy the blonde hair boy before he would kill him. "The fourth didn't kill the nine tail fox, he sealed it into a baby born the same day as the attack." Mizuki smile was almost demonic at this point, "YOU ARE THE NINE TAIL FOX!" Mizuki then threw the oversized shuriken at Naruto, "I'll be a hero for killing you monster!"

Iruka stepped in front of Naruto to prevent him from being hit however he stared wide eye at a determined Naruto and Lloyd. Iruka would always regret it till the day he died how for briefest of seconds he thought Naruto was going to attack him, it was the first time and last time he would ever doubt Naruto's Will of Fire.

Naruto and Lloyd yelled out with a hand single hand sign. "KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU," Naruto yelled out.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU," Lloyd shouted in unison with Naruto. 

The two boys having thought along the same path line had overpowered the jutsus and instead of making one clone each made 50 each covering the clearing in the forest in orange wearing Narutos , and hospital gown wearing Lloyds. Several of each jumped in front of Iruka and were sacrificed slowing down the massive shuriken till it fell to the ground. Mizuki who was still in shock at what happened was set upon by all the clones before he could escape.

 _ **Author's notes:  
Finally, that's the end of this chapter, I know you all don't know but I've gone over three MAJOR changes in this chapter from how Naruto and Lloyd merge, the past I choose to highlight in this chapter I.E. Death of Dirk, Naruto's 5th birthday, even the intro went through three different overhauls, hope you all enjoyed the finished results. During the memories it is done intentionally with the character name changes, as they are Lloyds memories, past the people in it would be calling him Lloyd and not Naruto who was experiencing them and vice versa. I'm still opened to any pairings suggestions you all may have. Please read and review. Oh! and if you haven't already please check out my other story Bargin Ally which should be getting the next update.**_


	3. Chapter 2: Lloyd's Genin Career

_**I do not own Naruto or Tales of Symphonia, enjoy the fanfiction.**_

Chapter 2: Lloyd's Genin Career

Lloyd stood at the front gate of the village a filled backpack sits at his side. Inside filling the backpack, is everything the boy still owns. He was wearing some tattered beige colored civilian top with dark green pants. These were the nicest pair of clothes he owned regrettably. If the last few months since Mizuki's attempted betrayal could be summed it up in one word for Lloyd, it would be crap. It all began the morning after Naruto and Lloyd beat up Mizuki, leaving him in such a state that the ANBU who arrived after the fact had to carry the traitor to the cell he would be in for a long, long time.

Lloyd had decided after getting back to town with Iruka and Naruto to head back to the hospital instead of joining the two in a debriefing with the Hokage and getting ramen. When pressed as to why he brought up several excuses about still being in little more than tissue paper with the patient gown and that he had to sort out his emotions. This confused Naruto until Iruka, who understandably was surprised that Naruto didn't need/ want to do the same thing. While Lloyd's lack of proper clothes was part of the motive the main reason was that Lloyd needed to decompress and find himself amongst the memories of two lives, two very different yet similar lives. So once Lloyd arrived back at the hospital the fact that the teen gave few quick emotionless responses to the hounding of questions the doctors and nurses asked of the wayward patient.

Along with questions, the doctors had been adamant on giving him just about every test under the sun. While now in near perfect health, if not slight exhaustion from having been up all night, the fact that when he had been abducted he was an incurable, weak, frail, patient, who the only thing the staff were able to do for was give him a bed as they awaited the inevitable day when he would close his eyes for the final time to come. Now, he was healthy, his tests were showing vast improvements to those of someone more normal, His muscles were more toned, not where they should be for say a shinobi in the ninja core should be at his age, but it wouldn't be hopeless for him to get there now. The test took up most of the day and even though Lloyd appreciated the time to work his thoughts out even he was losing his patience…after the first hour. So understandably when the Hokage had made a visit to the boy's room, just before the first few stars lit up the night sky, the young man had practically tackled him in a bear hug. Only stopping himself moments before impact when he realized that the feelings of love as a grandchild to grandparent were because of Naruto's experiences with him. Though the old man was kind enough to just smile at the teen and not pay it any mind.

"How are you doing today Lloyd," The Hokage asked the mostly brown haired teen.

"I'm alright jiji… I mean Lord Hokage," Lloyd stumbled and gave a half bow not really sure how to properly address the leader of the village.

"That's good to hear, and please you may call me Jiji if you wish to," The Hokage gave a sincere smile. "From what I've gathered the last 24 hours for you have been quite the experience."

Lloyd may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed but he was quick on the uptake to understand that the Hokage wouldn't just be making a social visit to him. While the Third had done everything in the past and visited once or twice when trying to find Dirk and him a cure for their illness after it became truly hopeless the Hokage had stopped coming. Not that Lloyd blamed him for it, and was deeply grateful for everything the Third had done for him.

"It definitely beats sitting in bed day after day," Lloyd responded with a light chuckle.

The Hokage's smile stayed on his face and chuckled with the boy. "I bet it does, it's why I came here this evening, I've already gotten Iruka's and Naruto's view on yesterday's events, I just need yours to finish the write up for this."

Lloyd nodded good-naturedly in understanding before pausing and in even tone said, "While I can see the point in having all parties involved give testimony… isn't it a little weird that yourself, Lord Hokage, would come to get my part of the story." Lloyd paled for a moment as he saw the Hokage look at him with a blank stare, almost that of surprise, before nervously saying, "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that, just curious is all."

The thirds smile came back after a moment as he chuckled, "You are right Lloyd, normally such matters I would send a Chunin to get your account…" The third closed his eyes while he spoke but when they opened back up the serious expression on his face dropped the room temperature down several degrees, "Because of the nature of what Naruto and yourself went through, and because it deals with former Ninja of the Leaf, Mizuki trying to defect with some of our forbidden and just dangerous Jutsus you could see why I want to keep the people in the know to a minimum."

Lloyd nodded his head in understanding rather he truly did or not Hiruzen couldn't tell but none the less he reached into his robes, the one's he was given when he succeeded the second and became the Third Hokage, and produced several seals which he threw at the four corners of the room. Noticing the look of bewilderment on Lloyd's face, He was about to inform the boy the seals were not dangerous but was caught off guard when Lloyd spoke first.

"Those are silencing seals, right?" Lloyd asked before continuing, "to keep anyone outside this room from listening in on our conversation."

Hiruzen didn't let it show this time but he was once again delightfully surprised at the teen's knowledge, mistakenly taking this as Naruto's knowledge that Lloyd soaked up from the merging. _"I knew Naruto had it in him to shine no doubt he passed the knowledge on to Lloyd, perhaps I should call back Jiraiya to help nurture his skills with Fuinjutsu, after all, it is in his blood already to be exceptional at it.'_ The Third gave Lloyd once again a small smile and a nod, "That's correct, so you understand how delicate the situation is with me being here and the seals."

Lloyd nodded and remained quiet waiting for the Hokage's instructions. The two spoke of yesterday from when Lloyd got up to when he came back this following morning several times the Third would stop and ask for clarification on some of the more trivial parts of the day. These were usually answered with an I don't know or I don't remember, though disappointing to hear of Lloyd's lack of attention, the Third could understand how doing the same thing over and over again would blur all together and losing the sense of time was understandable. The Third himself, while never saying it out loud, found himself in a similar situation with the mounds of paperwork that always awaited him in his office. When Lloyd got to the part that the Hokage was most interested, however, that being when Naruto summoned the Shinigami by misreading the same seal his father had used to seal the great nine tail fox inside the infant Naruto at the cost of his life. What Lloyd spoke of next was a stark contrast to what Naruto spoke of.

When Naruto was asked to describe what happened with the jutsu, the young mostly blonde teen spoke entirely of Lloyd's life in the four walls where the Hokage now sat inside of. He had to watch as Naruto's heart was wrenched and shattered when he brought up watching Dirk die in the bed beside him the frozen face the Dwarf had before they drew the blanket back. It was around this time the Hokage tried to remind Naruto that he himself never experienced this but the whiskered face teen responded with a simple shake of his head.

"I may not have experienced right when it happened but I'm just as much Lloyd as he is me," The blonde hair boy stopped for a moment to collect what he was about to say next, "The memories of Dirk are the closest thing I've felt to having a father. I know you do what you can Jiji but the few days before Dirk took Lloyd from his home to bring him here where he fed me, clothed me, tucked me in at night, The **ME** , of two days ago never experienced that before.

Lloyd however when he spoke it was everything about what happened in Naruto's life and how alone he was. The Hokage who had prided himself on trying to make the best out of a bad situation for Naruto was truly and regrettably surprised when Lloyd spoke of all the times Naruto had been kicked out of shops, ostracized by parents of children he tries to play with, chased, beaten, and bloodied. The third had known that the boy would never be seen as the hero his parent's had wanted him to be when they sacrificed themselves to save the village.

He also had known that there were times when Naruto was in trouble but he had the boy on almost constant ANBU observation until he had gotten through his first year in the academy. It had seemed like just as the Hokage predicted that fewer and fewer reports of villagers attacking Naruto had decreased over that time. However, in actuality it seemed like only a fraction of attacks made against the boy were ever reported to him. While Lloyd continues to recount a particular incident that had ended up putting a 6-year-old Naruto in the hospital for just under a week, The Hokage thought back to who he had part of Naruto ANBU team. As he thinks back The Hokage makes a connection he missed before. Angry with himself at overlooking such a small detail he starts to see how far he had failed Minato and Kushina. Whenever there was a report that had ANBU intervention, the ones to write up the report was always the same, Either Neko, Inu, or for a time Crow. However Crow was removed because of an S-rank long time undercover mission, Ino had retired from ANBU after finding some small measure of peace with the loss of his former team.

Neko was currently still in ANBU but… _"I thought she was too close to Naruto and was letting her emotions get the better of her and ended up pulling her from the protection detail."_ Hiruzen hadn't noticed that Lloyd had stopped talking as he pondered what to do about the 9 other ANBU two of which were waiting reassignment which would come after Naruto passed his squad captain's genin test in a couple of days.

"Jiji, uh I mean Lord Hokage." Lloyd began when he felt the silence was unbearable. During the Thirds inner turmoil in light of past events, He had not heard Lloyd when he had asked a question. "Don't tell me your age killed you old man." Lloyd channeled more Naruto without realizing.

This drew the Hokage from his Inner turmoil. "I'm sorry what were you saying, Lloyd?"

Lloyd could only sigh at this as he inwardly though _"he not going to make me retell him everything again is he?"_ Lloyd shook his head and asked, "I was asking if what Mizuki said was true about the fox demon…and if so does that mean I also…" Lloyd trailed off.

The Hokage sighed as he knew that question was coming. "That's one of the things we will need to check. Right now I can't say you do or don't have the fox or at least a part of it inside you. I'll be having Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan coming back here tomorrow to check both you and Naruto out, with his sensing skills and the help of his clan's Kekkei Genkai; we should be able to tell then."

This had caused a sense of dread to slither through Lloyd as it would mean another night and day in the prison of the hospital room he been in for most of his life. When the time of the test arrived the Third came with the Hyuga Patriarch Hiashi, the Yamanaka Head Inoichi, several faceless ANBU, who remain hidden as was standard protocol, and Naruto himself. The test was rather simple and only reason for Inoichi and the ANBU were there in case somehow when Lloyd activated the seal the fox, that was proven to be contained in him and Naruto somehow tried to escape.

With confirmation that Lloyd was also now a Jinchuuriki, a living container for the nine tail demon, The Third wasted no time offering Lloyd a chance to become a ninja. While Lloyd would have gotten some use taking a year at least to go through the academy, due to his age, he was offered the same position that Naruto was in now. Being approved to be a genin but waiting on the test to find out if he would actually become one. Lloyd wasn't thrilled at first to join the shinobi corps, keyword at first. He eventually agreed after having the Hokage had dismissed everyone from the room but Naruto and Lloyd and once again put up silencing seals.

What the Third told the two teens next was something he had wanted to wait till Naruto was older. That was of course about the role of a Jinchuuriki. The two teens soaked everything in, with queer silence. After the explanation, Naruto was furious and demanded to know what right the Fourth had placed the burden on him in the first place. Lloyd's anger matched Naruto's but he took the headband of the leaf stating it was cruel of the Third to offer him a choice when he really had none, to begin with. The Third could not rebuttal this and took the hatred and rage the teens let out in stride. When the two calmed down though Lloyd did admit he was probably going to have said yes anyway because it offers him a chance to see the world and not be confined to the village. Both Naruto and Lloyd quoting a Dwarven vow.

This did pose a problem however, because the recent class of soon to be genin had had a higher success rate than previous years, more to the point all the teams were filled the only solution would be to either make a new team filled with all chunin and Lloyd or add him as forth to another team. While he would have to come up with a more permanent solution for today at least he had Lloyd go with Naruto to the academy to meet Naruto's Jounin captain. While he was hesitant to do so as the instructor, for the soon to be team seven, since he started to take a teaching role for the next generation has never passed any team he was in charge of. Though of the available Jonins, Kakashi was probably the only one he thought would not get overwhelmed by having one more charge in his care.

Naruto started heading for the door figuring everything was done. Since this had taken precedent the Hokage had told Naruto who his teammates were he was giddy with the thought of being on the same team as his long time crush. A pink haired green eyed girl named Sakura Haruno, who seemed not to remember meeting Naruto when she was younger, did not stop the blonde hair boy from being infatuated with her. These emotions were also part of Lloyd now, who had turned away with a slight blush and a look of pained frustration did not go unnoticed by the Hokage. The Third decided not to comment on this as he figured it had to do with the merging and the sharing of emotional connection with those in both their lives.

Still, he did give the older teen a curious gaze when Naruto had already started walking down the hall of the hospital, previous times of having been in the place conditioned him not to run like he wanted to. Lloyd remains where he stood feet rooted to the ground before finally saying he had no clothes to wear. The Third eyes widen at that and forgot such a simple fact and called for a nurse to bring in the clothes from the hospital's lost and found. Among the articles of clothes, Lloyd found a long sleeved Beige shirt that must have been left by a Farmer the right sleeve had been torn off jaggedly and from the looks, there had been some kind of stab to the last owner side as it was roughly stitched together. Thankfully there had been no blood on it as the Hospital went ahead and cleaned the clothes; they had been getting ready to donate them to one of the local orphanages since everything inside had gone unclaimed for over a year. He also found a pair of pants that had been left behind by a shinobi from another village. By the condition they were in it was easy to see why. The dark green Hachibun pants had seen some use and were faded, the Knees having been patched together with gray cloth, from another pair of pants most likely, and another rough stitch down the length of the right leg. Lloyd was disheartened by the lack of anything red, however, even these mismatched clothes were better than the patient gown he was used to being in. The one nice thing he found in the mass of junk were some plain black Jikatabi that almost looked new.

After he was dress Lloyd was ready to catch up with Naruto He didn't want to miss meeting his new sensei, though when he vocalized this the Third could only sweatdrop at how ridiculous it sounded. Given time, Naruto and Lloyd would both learn of the perpetual tardiness of Kakashi Hatake.

Lloyd looked up as he Noticed team seven's Genin; Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and the last member Sasuke Uchiha arrived at the gate with backpacks over their shoulders. At first, the three had given Lloyd a curious look before the expressions quickly changed between a verity of emotions, Lloyd could only sigh as he was reminded of what happened after Naruto and Lloyd had gotten to the academy.

When Lloyd arrived at the classroom where Naruto had sat in learning the ways of a hidden leaf ninja, he was shocked to see Naruto, who he knew would beat him to the room, the pink haired kunoichi Sakura, and a black haired boy with a blue jacket and white shorts, Sasuke Uchiha were the only three in the room. Sakura was the first to speak.

"Are you our sensei?" She asked while she could clearly see how young Lloyd was having never met him she assumed him to be their wayward Teacher, who along with Naruto, until a few minutes before, had been missing since that morning. Sakura had just got done berating her tardy teammate and was ready to tear into her sensei whenever he deemed to show himself.

Lloyd shook his head, a light blush once again across his face as the feelings he gained from Naruto for the pinkette once more surfaced and he quickly took a seat at the bottom of the classroom his back turned to the three of them. Sasuke who only reason to have noticed Lloyd, in the beginning, was because he like Sakura had gotten tired of waiting and his hopes slightly risen that he finally get started when the older teen walked in. Naruto just shrugged and just started thinking of mock missions team seven would get later and how he be the hero saving everyone before becoming Hokage. Sakura, however, had noticed the blush Lloyd had on his face before he could turn around.

 _ **"SHANNARO"**_ Inner Sakura exclaimed, _**"He was so checking us out TAKE THAT INO-PIG. Older guys like me more than you."**_ Outer Sakura smiled at this, even though Ino wasn't in the room and it wasn't really a fair competition, but with their rivalry for Sasuke attention, Sakura would take any win she could get. She walked down the aisle to speak to Lloyd and maybe tease him a bit to swell her confidence. When she got there she did a quick check of his looks. "Well he does look cute but he nothing compared to my Sasuke-Kun," Sakura swooned.

Lloyd aware that Sakura was standing next to him looked at her from the corner of his eye and began to sweat bullets, trying to keep his voice neutral, "Is there s-something I can help you with Sakura-Chan?" He said before realizing his mistake.

Sakura instantly picked up on the fact that she had never seen this older boy before and he already knew her name. Red flags started to appear and she jumped away from Lloyd, no longer feeling safe so close, "H-How did you know my name?" Sakura said trying to keep her emotions in check. "You're some kind of stalker right."

Lloyd, as well as Naruto and Sasuke, stared at Sakura with Lloyd bringing up his hands in a non-aggressive manner, "N-no Sakura-Chan ..." Lloyd didn't get a chance to correct himself as Sakura launched back at him with a flurry of kicks and punches, none of which he blocked, and in two minutes flat was left sprawled out on the floor his ass thoroughly kicked.

"Who are you, stalker? " Sakura asked with venom _**"SHANNARO! Take that pervert,"**_ Inner Sakura mentally screamed.

"I'm Lloyd" Lloyd wheezed his voice muffled by the floor, "and I didn't stalk you."

"Oh yeah," Sakura said threating to hit him again, " **IF** you weren't stalking me then how do you know my name?"

Lloyd inwardly groaned as he tried to think how best explain this without giving away anything he shouldn't be while the part about Mizuki's betrayal was not s-class secret the jutsu Naruto used and the prisoner both boys now housed was. "I-I can't say it's an s-class secret, I wasn't stalking you though Sakura-chan I swear."

Sakura mocked laugh, "Like I'm supposed to believe that. I saw how you were looking at me."

Lloyd tried his best to deny it. "I wasn't looking at you," He hesitated trying to find way out, unfortunately, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I was looking at uh... Sasuke dattebayo."

Sasuke who had been leaning his head on top of his fist faltered and slammed his chin against the table. Naruto was wide eye at the proclamation before noticing Sasuke uncool moment and started laughing.

The entire room was quiet before Sakura blushed fiercely as she fantasized a half-naked Sasuke in a half-naked Lloyd's arms inches from their lips meeting,

 _ **"SHANNARO,"**_ Inner Sakura said as she shoved the mental image out of Sakura's mind. _**"Yeah it's hot, but Sasuke is OURS!"**_

Sakura was about to voice this when a thought struck her destroying all her confidence and emotionally shattered her to pieces. "What if Sasuke prefers that…I mean he never gave me or Ino the chance of day no matter how much we Love him." Sakura looked up to Sasuke and noticed his red face not knowing he had slammed his chin into the table and was embarrassed about that.

Both Sakura and Inner Sakura screamed inwardly, "IT'S TRUE!"

This was the scene Kakashi had walked into when he came to get his team, Naruto laughing so hard he fell out of his seat and rolled down the aisle, Sasuke with a more aggressive stare, a scrape on his chin. Not making eye contact with anyone. A brain dead Sakura who just kept mumbling it's true. Finally, a still bruised and battered Lloyd lying where Sakura had pummeled him.

"Hmmm my first impression of you guys," Kakashi said gaining everyone's attention as he took on a thinking pose scratching his masked chin, "…is I don't like you." Kakashi eye smiled at his joke. "Meet me up on the roof in 5 minutes or else." With that the clone that had delivered the message disappeared. The four made their way up to the roof to meet the silver hair masked ninja with his headband pulled over his right eye. He gave them all another eye smile as he closed an orange book he had been reading. One Naruto and Lloyd could swear they seen the Hokage glimpsing at once or twice in the past.

"Now that we are all together," Kakashi began as the Genin hopefuls took their seats, "Let's go around and introduce ourselves. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future.

The four looked at him blankly before Sakura raised her hand and when Kakashi called on her she asked, "Umm can you go first sensei and show us how it's done?"

Kakashi thought over the request for a moment before deciding to answer, "Hmmm alright. My name is Kakashi Hatake, My likes and dislikes I do not wish to tell you. My Hobbies… well, I have lots of hobbies, as for my dream for the future hmm I have no idea.

The four listeners deadpanned as they all inwardly thought, _"all we were told was his name."_

After giving his group a few seconds to digest the wealth of knowledge about himself Kakashi cleared his throat, "Your next pinky"

Sakura was upset by the comment about her hair, one of the many things she saw of herself as unattractive. "My name is Sakura Haruno, My likes are," she stopped and looked over to Sasuke and squealed. "My dislikes are perverts, Ino-pig, Naruto, and perverted stalkers after MY Sasuke-Kun," she glared at Lloyd who faces paled at what she was once again implying, on the other side Sasuke back straightened up as a shiver slithered down his spine. "My hobbies are…," She squealed once more and another shiver went down Sasuke's spine, "and my dream for the future," she squealed for a third time this one by far the loudest of the three.

 _"Most girls her age are more concerned with relationships than putting effort into their shinobi career,"_ Kakashi thought to himself as listen to the Pinkette's introduction, _"I'll have to make sure to work that out of her."_

"Your next whiskers," Kakashi said calling on Naruto and just loving the scowl he was given before the boy started. "My name is NARUTO UZUMAKI!" Naruto stated loudly getting an eye roll from both Sakura and Sasuke, "I like ramen and the ramen that Iruka treats me to at the Ichiraku Noodle Hut and…" Naruto couldn't finish which caught everyone by surprise for as long as Sakura and Sasuke could remember nothing shut up Naruto but food or unconsciousness. "My dislikes are the three minutes waiting for water to seep into ramen and people who Judge others based on stuff outside their control. My hobbies are eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. Finally, my dream is to become Hokage believe it."

 _"Aside from the beginning, everything is like I imagined with Naruto"_ Kakashi mentally noted. Your next sunshine," Kakashi said while staring at the expressionless Sasuke.

"Hmpf" Sasuke glared at the silver haired Jounin but said, "I don't like anything and hate everything, I have no hobbies and I don't have a dream but a goal to kill a certain man." Sasuke finished causing the air around him to feel colder than what it was; Sakura gushed but wondered who Sasuke wanted to kill while Naruto mockingly mumbled to himself. Lloyd was lost in thought on how to answer the questions himself.

 _"Going down the path of an avenger…hopefully, we can change that."_ Kakashi mentally commented. "Your next cast away," Kakashi said with joy dripped in his voice in anticipation to Lloyd's reaction.

Lloyd stared blankly at the one-eyed masked man before proclaiming "Aye-aye pirate king!"

This threw everyone there for a loop the three other genins looking at Lloyd who had a smile filled with mirth glaring at their captain.

So thrown off by this Kakashi responded back, "I'm not a pirate king," _"Is there something wrong with this one?"_

Lloyd who couldn't control the pranking nature he inherited from Naruto continued, "Oh no was there a mutiny? Come captain well find those scurvy dogs and make'em walk the plank for such treachery." Lloyd continued confusing Naruto and Sasuke more Sakura though figured it out and laughed lightly.

"Ehh you get what's going on Sakura-Chan? Tell me" Naruto barely whispered.

"UGH! Naruto you really don't have any brain cells do you?" Sakura berated before answering his question. "Look at our CAPTAIN what stands out about him?"

Naruto looked at Kakashi as he once again went to clear himself of being a pirate, "he has gray hair? A mask?" Naruto answered questioningly.

Sakura sighed, "His headband it's over one eye like an eye patch." Sakura said not hiding the irritation in her voice.

Naruto still wasn't getting it but Sasuke did after overhearing Sakura and putting two and two together. All and all it was a lame joke but the fact it threw their new Jounin captain for a loop both Sasuke and Sakura planned on making use of it.

"My name is Lloyd Irving. My likes are dwarven surprise stew like how my Dad use to make," Lloyd finally started Sakura noticed the way Lloyd had said USED to while Kakashi and Sasuke both wondered what dwarven surprise stew was. "My dislike is room 244 in the hospital." Only Naruto knew this was the room Lloyd spent most of his life in. "My hobbies are Fuinjutsu, ruin carving, and blacksmithing," Lloyd said more to confirm to himself than to the rest of them. "As for my dream…," Lloyd had to stop himself from shouting out to be the Hokage. "… Is to find one maybe traveling outside the village will help."

 _"Interesting…"_ Kakashi thought already knowing everything that happened to Naruto and Lloyd as he was deemed to be in the need to know by the Hokage, _"while Naruto embraces the similarities between the two of them and wants to be trapped in the village, Lloyd wants to leave it, and actively tries to identify himself separate from the experiences of Naruto. Identity crises maybe, and Fuinjutsu when did he learn anything about that."_ Kakashi merely nodded and said, "So we are a big diverse team lucky us."

Kakashi went on to eye smile as he then told them about the test they are taking the following day as expected Naruto and Sakura were vocal about their disapproval of this Sasuke grunted and Lloyd just stared at his hands quietly.

Kakashi would shunshin away done for the day and the Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke would make it back downstairs for lunch, as they had yet to take Kakashi test they were required to spend the rest of the day at the academy as they were had not proven to remain as genin, Lloyd however remain on the roof top worry obviously on his face.

"A test to see if we get to remain genin," Lloyd air his frustrations out loud, "a test where one in three don't even pass… even though Sasuke is nothing more than a stuck-up bastard Dattebayo," Lloyd said only half aware he was comparing how Sasuke was from the memories he gained from Naruto, "does he really deserve to fail and sent back to the academy because I'm taking the test too? What about Sakura, I mean I know Naruto will pass cause we are awesome," Lloyd let out a laugh as his chest swell up with pride but after holding it for a moment before he deflated the fake grin leaving his face. "Who am I kidding the one who will probably fail at the test will most likely be me, I've only ever performed one Jutsu myself if there is one person who SHOULD go back to the academy it's me. "Lloyd stood there for a moment letting the words sink in. To someone who had heard the Teens ramblings it would seem he had resolved himself to this fate. That is until just like the wind which shifts and turns on merely a whim Lloyd slammed his hand against the stone of the roof top. "S-So what that's not the worst thing in the world it won't stop me I'll still become a ninja no matter how many times I have to take some stupid test," Lloyd jumped up on the edge of the building, "HEAR THAT KONOHA, I'M LLOYD IRVING AND I'LL BECOME THE MOST BADASS SHINOBI IN HISTORY DATTABAYO!" Lloyd yelled out with pride his worries, while not forgotten were not going to hold him back either. Lloyd stood there laughing like a brave fool until his foot slipped and he just managed to grab ahold of the side of the building before plummeting to the ground below. Lloyd struggled to pull himself back up onto the rooftop but managed to do so sweating a cold sweat was on his brow from fear and embarrassment.

Lloyd with his cheek pressed against the flat surface of the cold stone looked out at the rest of the academy he spotted Sasuke, who was what looked like an apple. Apparently, either Sasuke hadn't heard or more likely hadn't cared what Lloyd had just yelled out and wasn't paying attention. Just then a pair of arms in orange jumpsuit grabbed ahold of Sasuke before pulling him into the empty room he was standing outside of. From his position, Lloyd watched as Naruto and his clones quickly beat and tied up Sasuke and then performed a Henge to transform into him. _"Even though I've found something to strive toward I'll still need help… and well let's face it my skills come from Naruto might as well see if he give me some pointers before this test."_

With a plan, Lloyd went on a search for Naruto forgetting about Sasuke who would eventually free himself on his own. Lloyd looked high and low for any sign of the disguised mostly blonde. When Lloyd was frustrated to the point of quitting he came across Sakura her back turned to him.

"S-Sakura-Chan," Lloyd said not realizing the Chan he had said,"Have you seen Naruto?" Lloyd then saw Sakura's face depression and agony as a few tears were getting ready to fall. She weakly shook her head half expecting Lloyd to run off just like the black haired teen of team 7 had done after putting her in such a state. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

Sakura had just been on cloud nine about to kiss Sasuke who had told her, her forehead was cute before running off when she found him again. Looking for Naruto no less she had started ripping into the class clown, however, when she had made mention of his upbringing and it being because of a lack of parents. Sasuke had then attacked her verbally and called her useless before running off. She was crushed by this and just after Sasuke had left Lloyd showed up. Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore, forgetting the fact that Lloyd was some kind of stalker pervert, at least in her eyes, for a moment and embraced him in a hug letting out her tears as she told him everything that just happened.

Lloyd for his efforts was able to prevent himself from having a nosebleed even if his face was bright red, that was until he realized Sakura was sniffling into his quickly dampening shirt. After Sakura got through telling him what happened Lloyd mumbled out, "Damn it Naruto look what you caused," Lloyd had quickly figured out what really had happened.

"Naruto what do you mean he caused." Sakura dropped her arms to her side and took a step away from Lloyd who winced at how red and puffy her eyes had become. Lloyd who now realized he had spoken aloud was not forthcoming with an answer right away. "What do you mean NARUTO caused this."

Lloyd sighed and debated to tell her what he saw and how he could avoid answering. When he stared at the pinkette, however, preparing to shrug off the question he could see how much it meant to her. "Sorry, Naruto…but like you I can't be the cause of her crying." "One of the Sasuke's you talked to was," Lloyd started rubbing the back of his head in worry before closing his eyes and put on a weak smile. "Well, Naruto."

Lloyd paused to let that sink in he opened one eye to look at Sakura who stood there dumbfounded, "What?" Though it was one word and spoken just slightly above a whisper Lloyd could hear it the low growl in that question to a growing fury that been sparked in Sakura.

"One of the Sasukes was actually Naruto." He said once more trying to keep his voice level.

Sakura stood there as if contemplating each word Lloyd had said before finally, a vicious stare that could ignite trees without a mangekyou sharingan replaced the once water-filled ones Sakura had moments ago. "WHY THAT…" Sakura's fury prevents her from coming up with a derogatory term to call Naruto. "I know he couldn't wrap his head around my love for Sasuke but to say all those things to me. To think I was about to be easier on him but no next time I see that… that IDIOT I'm going to teach him to play with a Maiden's Heart."

This reaction caught Lloyd off guard before taking a step back he put his arms up waving them in front of Sakura. "I get it that it was wrong that Naruto was wrong to have transformed in Sasuke but to want to pummel him for what he said…"

Sakura's fury then turned to Lloyd, "Are you seriously defending him!" Sakura screeched as she took a stomp forward, "I was a mess because of what he said to me thinking Sasuke thought of me as useless and annoying. You honestly don't think I wouldn't be pissed. You know he has always been a pain and sometimes, SOMETIMES, I found the pranks he pulled to be quite clever and funny, but I should have taken what my parents and Mizuki-sensei had said about not trusting him." Lloyd winced at the name of the traitor, "They told me to put him in his place and make sure he stayed far away from me, obviously I should have tried harder. The shinobi life is dangerous, and I swear when Naruto gets himself killed I won't cry for him, an idiot like him should never have been born." Sakura finished panting.

Lloyd who during Sakura's shouting had stood there silently like a small child being scolded for having done something wrong, His eyes cast downward clenching his fists as she continued her yelling when she said Naruto shouldn't have been born that was when his fingers dug into his own flesh. When Sakura stopped Lloyd spoke up his tone was eerily neutral hiding the flames of anger he now had for his pink haired teammate "Naruto always saw you as a smart girl," he breathed out slowly before continuing, "I agree he is an idiot forever thinking you were smart Sakura." The neutral tone was all but gone when he said her name sending a shiver down her spine followed by another when noticed Lloyd's eyes had seemed to change to dark red orbs of fury.

Sakura didn't let that stop her though and she shouted back, "I'm the idiot yet you're defending Naruto after spilling the beans on his sick twisted prank."

"What prank," Lloyd shouted back at her, "He told you what he honestly felt about that oversized forehead," Lloyd said watching Sakura winced at that, he normally wouldn't have insulted someone due to their appearance and because of Naruto influence he did find her forehead to be a cute feature of her but right now he wanted to hurt her. "And you wish for his death. I honestly can't see why he so devoted to you anymore."

This stopped Sakura from yelling back as she recalled the previous conversation before the two got heated at each other. Only one Sasuke had mentioned her head and that was the sweeter one, _"is he saying that Naruto was the first Sasuke that's... ridiculous…right?"_ Sakura looked up to ask her internal question but he had already disappeared.

Lloyd had left to go train on his own having needed to get away from Sakura and everyone else he was surprised by how angry he was and it took him a while to expend the extra energy he had because of it. Sakura for her part was unsure which Sasuke had been Naruto, which surprised her as she wished the first Sasuke had been the real one, but after she thought about it, the goofy way he had acted. The range of emotions he had. They had been so out of character for Sasuke she was having doubts; it's because of these doubts that when she next saw Naruto she hadn't left him smeared on the school grounds. She was also confused on how Lloyd had gotten, the fire in his eyes was constantly on her mind when she thought back to it.

The following day for the bell test had gone as smoothly as an unpaved road covered in rocks. Lloyd had figured out very quickly that the only shoot the group of Genin had to pass was to work together. He didn't understand why the rest of them hadn't understood that. Or perhaps they did, however, thanks to the events of the previous day they weren't willing to. Somewhere along the time when Lloyd was comforting Sakura the previous day Naruto had come back from where he ran off too. Misreading the situation Naruto had become jealous of Lloyd. So he refused to team together much to the shock of Lloyd when he offered to cut Naruto down from a trap he had with little goading walked right into. Lloyd was confused when he walked away and Naruto had claimed he win her heart from him not knowing who this her was. Lloyd had found Sasuke after he been buried into the ground and was being laughed at by Naruto, Lloyd once again had mentioned that they should work together, however again he was refused. Lloyd looked over at Sakura who had been the first to find Sasuke and had promptly passed out in shock of a talking head on the ground. Lloyd started to swallow his pride to wake the girl but after the fight was still not willing to speak to her. Thankfully he hadn't need to when the timer went off signaling the end of the test. Kakashi would then go on to explain the significance of the test and would praise Lloyd for having figured it out, having been the first person to ever done so, However even though Lloyd had figured out the point of the test the team had not actually come together to fight like they should have, nor did any of them actually succeed in getting a bell. Kakashi decided to give them a final chance after they ate lunch but due to Naruto's attempt to eat the lunches, Kakashi had made before the test ended. Kakashi had caught him red handed but inwardly praised the boy for at least attempting it, after all when it came to their chosen career path if you were presented with a chance to "steal" the victory you should try to take it as long as you won't get caught doing so. However, that was why Naruto was being punished he had gotten caught, so while everyone else was allowed to eat they were told not to give Naruto any and once they were done they get their final chance to get the bells. Sasuke had been the first to ignore what their sensei had said stating that if they had any chance to win they need as much firepower as possible, Sakura was next stating that she was already full, a lie everyone could tell, but she stuck to it. When Kakashi who had been viewing the group in secret had watched the pinkette feed the mostly blonde teammate he smirked inwardly and found hope for this team after all.

So after scaring the four with a genjutsu before passing them, he was disappointed by what happened next. No sooner had they been passed the Third had called for Lloyd and himself to report to the Hokage's office. In front of the other Jounin captains who had past their respective teams, Lloyd was given an ultimatum that would be another reason why leaving the hospital Lloyd was a good thing or not.

It was no shock, except to Lloyd, when the Hokage spoke of his elder council, a group of retired shinobi from the thirds own team back in his youthful days plus his best friend and rival. Apparently, these three had been given too much power and had let slip Lloyd's existence as a second nine tail fox container. The Hokage's office had been flooded with letters from the poorest of shop owners to wealthiest in Konoha. Several called for Lloyd's death to prevent two Kyuubi's from ever being released. The majority Thankfully, however, threaten to close up shops and never sell to Konoha again unless Lloyd was trained by Danzo Shimura, the Third's rival, if he was going to become a ninja. Lloyd had seen the looks around the room when he heard that was said and just judging by the posture and the disgust in the eyes of the Jounin captains present, this would not be a good idea. This was why the Third had announced this to those present as the only other option would be for Lloyd not to become a Konoha ninja. The Hokage while he respected the war hawk Danzo, and saw him as his greatest rival, second only to paperwork, he would not willingly give Lloyd to Danzo to shape however he wants. Ultimately the choice was left up to Lloyd who after reading the faces of everyone present, and had chosen not to become a Konoha shinobi.

This choice, while the right one he guessed figuring how everyone in the room had relaxed slightly after he said he wouldn't be trained by the council's choice. Still would cause issues, as it was expected for Lloyd to be willing to defend Konoha to do so with his Jinchuuriki status. The Third had a solution for this, speaking to the captains in the room he had strongly suggested that should Lloyd show up at one of their training grounds to do personal training that they should help him however they could.

The other issue this caused, however, was that because Lloyd wasn't officially a ninja of Konoha he would have no job, no way to make money. This brought today's situation full circle as Lloyd had started taking request that were equivalent to D rank missions in Konoha when he wasn't "personally" training with the recently proven genin. This had also caused quite a commotion with the council as they said the boy was stealing jobs from the Konoha shinobi force though the Hokage ignored these complaints as the amount Lloyd was completing on his own was a relatively small amount and the boy would need some way to make money.

The final two members of the group at that point had shown up Kakashi-sensei of team 7 who was escorting the client of their first C-rank mission, and Lloyd's recent employer. Lloyd had met the man named, Tazuna when he arrived in Konoha a week prior as he stopped in the village hidden in the leaves to procure an escort team to get him back home, having left to deal with getting supplies to his village to help build a bridge. Lloyd had convinced the man to hire him on to help with construction after showing off the shadow clone technique and saying he could supplement his workforce provided he at least trained the boy in what needed to be done and of course paid him. After a deal was struck however the council once again had tried to prevent the teen from leaving the village. The only reason why they hadn't been able to was because the man was hiring a squad for his escort. Lloyd was only allowed to go as long as the team that would escort Tazuna, to be more precise the captain of the team had okayed it, obviously, which he had.

The three members of team 7 were never told why Lloyd was no longer a part of their team. Time had seemed to heal over the wounds of those days a few months back. Though Sakura still wasn't really able to look Lloyd in the eyes, and Naruto still jealous of the hug Lloyd was given when all he ever got was fist upside the head. Sasuke only reason to hate Lloyd stemmed from the fact that Lloyd had been the one to figure out the bell test and he an Uchiha couldn't. The four stood in uncomfortable silence not sure should they speak or not. Thankfully, they hadn't had to wait too long as Tazuna and Kakashi had both arrived however the Genin of team seven got into battle-ready poses.

"Who are you and what did you do with our sensei?" Sakura asked with all seriousness.

"Kakashi-sensei is never on time," Sasuke said never taking his eyes' off the silver haired Jounin.

"Tell us now before we kick your ass Believe it!" Naruto added ready to charge.

Lloyd stood there before he busted out laughing at Kakashi's plight who only sighed and confirmed he was who he said he was. The group of six would soon after being their journey to the country of Wave. None of them expected for the mission to go as wrong as it did.

_

 _ **That does it for this chapter, sorry it's late. Much like my other story I wasn't happy with what I had and rewrote from the beggining. I'm on the fence with this one but if it dont get this posted I'll proabbly rewrite it once more. So that being said next time the Wave mission. RnR**_


	4. Chapter 3: Wave-arc part 1

**I don't own Naruto of Tales of Symphonia. This story was created for fun not profit.**

 **Chapter three: Wave-arc part one**

"UGH!" Lloyd grunted in pain as he was forcefully kicked into a tree almost drowned out from the slamming sound of his body crashing into it. He falls to the ground with his head hung low.

"Damn is it going to be like this every time?" Lloyd thought to himself as he fought to stay awake.

Earlier that day, the group had left the village of Konoha more than a few hours prior. It had been pretty uneventful at the start of the trip. Lloyd had to stand away from team 7 not because of the current air of discomfort between them but because their mutual client, Tazuna, had insisted that since Lloyd worked for him until the bridge was complete that he be the lookout and stay in front of the ninja's that were protecting him. Kakashi had tried to reason with the man, however, he stuck to his gun stating he was paying for protection for him ALONE not for him and "the worker" he picked up in Konoha, refusing to humanize Lloyd by saying his name, in fear of the guilt to weigh upon him.

Lloyd did as he was told only for them to pass a couple of what at first glance looked like nothing more than puddles on the ground. Lloyd much like most of team 7 hadn't thought anything about the puddles. They were caught off guard as two missing-nins, the demon brothers, had come out of the water to quickly dispatch of the most dangerous threat first, Kakashi. In a horrifying display of two sadistic individuals, the young Genin, Tazuna, and Lloyd all had to watch as Kakashi was quickly bound in a chain that stretched from one brother to the other's metal claw-like gauntlets. With a flick of their wrist, hidden spikes on the chain up-righted on the chain and dug into Kakashi like sharp teeth of tiny predators. Pulling from each other the chain moved and dug in deeper cutting into Kakashi before he exploded in mess of blood and meat. Sakura almost fainted and even the ever stoic Sasuke looked like he was about to lose his breakfast. However, as the job dictated the two steeled themselves and got in front of Tazuna to protect him. Naruto ran to meet the brothers in a foolhardy charge. This was quickly stopped as he froze up when the demon brothers set their sights on doing what they did to his teacher to him. Before they could wrap him up Sasuke threw a single kunai pinning the chain into a tree. The smirk Sasuke had from catching the two assassins' off guard was quickly wiped off as the brothers simply detached the chain and one charged Naruto while the other charged him. Sakura yelled out in fear of Sasuke's safety but thanks to his constant training he was able to dodge being gutted by the dagger-like metal fingers on the claw of his enemy though he lost his balance as he landed at an awkward angle and fell to the ground.

Sasuke thought it was the end damning himself for having been so careless. He lay in wait for his demise, as his attacker stood over him ready to drive the claw straight through his gut and into the ground. Sasuke closed his eyes waiting for the pain. A second ticked by and the sound of metal cutting into flesh was heard followed by a yell of pain…but it wasn't from Sasuke. Standing between him and the assassin was Lloyd; the blood now dripping down on to Sasuke was from him. Before anything else could happen Kakashi reappeared and quickly dispatched both demon brothers.

After tying up both of them Kakashi extracted the information needed to prove that Tazuna had lied about the mission details originally when he made the request for the escort and that the mission in terms of rank should be High A rank maybe bordering S rank. Kakashi was about ready to end the mission for the safety of his Genin when Naruto spoke up rallying the rest to want to stick to what they had already accepted. Sasuke didn't take too much convincing and Sakura not wanting to be the single person out fearfully also agreed with her two teammates. Kakashi smiled under his mask at the bravado his team had, however, he was still unsure they be alright if what the demon brothers had said was true any number of things could go wrong. Still, though his team had surprised him, so after chastising Naruto for looking for a fight rather than protecting the client, Kakashi agreed to allow the team to continue the mission. The response from the three Genin was evident quickly on their faces and Kakashi quickly went to work addressing the wounds the team had been given by the Demon brothers.

That was when Kakashi took a more than a second glance at the claws of the captured enemy and realized the brothers had more than one trick up their sleeves. He could very easily tell that the claws were also able to poison. A quick look at his Genin told Kakashi that Sasuke was fine apart from a couple of scrapes from when he fell. Sakura, however, was in full protection fangirl mode and pulled out a med kit from her bag devoting all her attention to Sasuke. Naruto wined and jumped around trying to get Sakura's attention, as he been lightly grazed by one of the claws of the attacker he fought, only to be chastised once more by Kakashi. Who voiced the fact of the poison on the weapons and Naruto's jumping around would only cause the poison to spread further and electing a smug retort from Sasuke calling him a scaredy cat. Naruto pulled a kunai out and had stabbed his hand to drain the poison from his blood before it could travel any further in his system and made a vow to never freeze up like he had again.

Once team seven's issues were addressed, Kakashi pulled Lloyd off to the side to check his wounds. While not officially apart of the job and by extension should be of no concern to Kakashi, he refused to let the young man suffer for saving a member of his team. Kakashi had tried to convince Lloyd to go back home to seek medical attention, as it was clear his wound was worse than Naruto's and had a higher dose of the poison, at the hospital as they have a better chance at neutralizing the poison only for Lloyd to vehemently refuse. Ultimately, Lloyd made it clear that the only way he would go back is if Kakashi dragged him back which he couldn't do without canceling the mission. Kakashi had to concede even though he knew Lloyd would still be affected by the poison, after seeing the healing Naruto was under after stabbing his own hand, he put his faith in the fox's chakra to heal Lloyd and neutralize it.

Lloyd opened his eyes and began to get up from where he had been kicked, or thrown to. As the haze cleared from his eyes he could tell he been out of it for a while as he could see Kakashi was no longer beside, team 7 who were still protecting Tazuna, no instead he was in the river now trapped in a sphere of water controlled, he was guessing, by the shirtless man standing right next to it. Lloyd looked to the path and saw another identical man, with bandages around his face, striped pants with beige and brown colored leg and arm warmers, fighting both Naruto and Sasuke. His body was still worn out from fighting the poison and after being slammed into the tree he found it difficult to stand. When he did so he was straining under his own weight to remain standing, logically he didn't stand a chance to help at fighting off this attack, he charged, limped into the fray anyway. Lloyd rushed the clone of the attacker who had his back turned to him as he blocked a kick from Naruto. Just before Lloyd could tackle the enemy Ninja he jumped out of the way causing him to collide with Naruto who was unable to move out of the way from descending from his blocked kick. Before Naruto could yell at Lloyd to get off of him both teens use their heightened reflexes to get away from the descending broadsword of the attacker.

"Hmpf," The aggressor grunted, "I knew I should have just cleaved you in two before going after my real target," He said more to Lloyd than to Naruto, who had already been on the receiving end of his threats earlier in the fight.

Both teens kept their eyes on the bandaged face man as they stood away from him. "Naruto, what going on, who is this," Lloyd asked as the man in front of them could easily kill them yet hadn't pushed the attack, Lloyd was going to make use of this lull in the fight.

"His names Zabuza and he the one who hired those claw freaks from earlier." Naruto said with none of his usual lighthearted tone, "he trapped Kakashi in a water jutsu and sent this clone to fight us."

"I am the demon of the mist you damn brats," The Zabuza clone said in irritation slightly insulted that he was only introduced just by his name. "This is your last chance leave the bridge builder and your sensei here, tuck your tails between your legs and you might just live to see another day."

"No way, we intend to finish this mission" Naruto shouted back in furry.

"So be it," the clone said once more before pulling his blade from the ground and racing toward them again.

Lloyd leaps back to get away from the clone but Naruto jumps forward to attack only for him to be swatted down to the ground before the Zabuza clone is able to finish off Naruto Sasuke comes in and delivers a punch that is blocked by the clone's sword arm. Naruto gets up and tries to sweep the clone's legs out from under him only for the clone to jump over Naruto's leg. Lloyd thinking he now was in a blind spot charges the clone drawing back his fist for a punch while Sasuke side steps to the left and swings a midsection kick to Zabuza's exposed side. Lloyd's punch and Sasuke's leg do not meet their target as the clone quickly spends in a circle slicing into the three as they all are blown back. Luck was on the three's side as the wounds are shallow at worst. Zabuza clone, no longer blocked by the three boys, charges straight at the last standing member of Team seven, Sakura, and the bridge builder, Tazuna.

"Sakura-Chan," Naruto calls out as he gets up to run after the clone but knew he wouldn't make it in time.

"S-S-Stay back" Sakura screams with a shaking hand holding a kunai pointed at Zabuza who isn't deterred. She shuts her eyes. She hears the footfalls getting closer and the wind being sliced as Zabuza swings the massive blade. She loses her grip on the kunai and stands frozen waiting for the end. Her forced blindness continues and she hears the distinct popping sounds of Naruto's clones being created, "they won't make it in time Naruto…" followed by the clang of metal striking metal before finally the sound of water falling to the ground.

Sakura opens her eyes expecting to see the Mist demon's clone standing there ready to end her life. Instead, she stares at the back of her rescuer. He had mostly brown hair and wore worn and torn clothing what was more shocking was that to his right was a line of others all with the same back going on down to the original Lloyd who strangely enough was holding a small stick.

"Are you ok Sakura," the Lloyd directly in front of her asked.

"Lloyd…but…how" Sakura weakly got out but before the Lloyd shadow clone could respond the Zabuza clone cut him off. "and where did you get those swords."

"Didn't know you could use shadow clones like that, and just like the blonde brat I'm guessing you could create a lot more if you wanted to." His tone was low with rage but had an inquisitive bite to it.

Sakura looked back down the line of backs and figured it out. Lloyd had created one clone to his left who instantly created another clone and it went down the line to where the original Lloyd was standing.

"And just like I thought, a cloned blade will lose to a real one any day." The cloned Lloyd spat back gaining a glare from the cloned Zabuza.

"I don't need The Kubikiribocho to kill any of you," His tone had a dark tone filled with mirth behind it as if he was smirking, "While it makes it easier for me, and it makes your deaths quicker for you without it… I guess we'll have to go with the painful way."

"Yeah, I think well go with the quick way ourselves Dattabayo," The Lloyd clone said with finality as he and the rest rushed the Zabuza clone, the one who had been speaking dropping the blades, grabbing his arms and legs at the joints.

"This again..., the shrimp already tried this and it failed him why do you think it would work now." The clone of Zabuza said with a bored disappointed tone.

Only the original Lloyd said anything from outside the dog pile, it was not a retort to the enemy clone. "Now Sasuke!"

" **Gokakyu no Jutsu**!" a yell came from behind the pile of clones, the Zabuza clone could feel the air around him heat up and his eyes widen when he knew what was coming for him.

Desperately the clone tried to free himself dispelling each Lloyd clone one at a time, very quickly one last one remained stubbornly holding on to his leg as he tried to jump away, "Let go!" the water clone said as he was pulled back down by a grinning Lloyd shadow clone.

"Not on your life," The shadow clone found humor in this before the water clone stomped on his head with his free foot dispelling it and jumping once more.

"I got you now BELIEVE IT!" Naruto yelled as the water clone turned just in time to have a foot collide with his face pushing him back in front of the fireball. With no chance to escape now the fireball does what it was made for and dissolves the water clone in a raging inferno.

The real Lloyd runs in a mad dash and tackles almost spearing both Tazuna and Sakura to ground before the fireball would hit the two who were also in its flight path.

Kakashi, who thanks to years of training had yet to drown in the water prison he was in, stared on with a sense of shocked pride. "It seems those genin of yours might have something special after all," Zabuza grunted with disdain, "No matter it doesn't help you out any. Soon you'll either drown inside there or will attempt to escape and I'll cut you down."

Kakashi brought back to reality guides chakra into his throat and vocal cords allowing him to speak while under water, "Run take Tazuna with you and get back to Konoha as quick as you can Zabuza wouldn't dare attack you if you're back at the village!"

"No way," Naruto yelled as he and the rest of the group came to the edge of the water, "You're the one who taught us , behind."

"Those who abandon the mission are trash" Sasuke began with a grunt.

"…But those who abandon their friends are worse than trash!" Sakura finished declaring her conviction with the rest of team seven after pulling herself up off the ground, "You were the one to teach us that Kakashi sensei. How could we leave you behind?"

Kakashi's eyes widen as he felt several emotions all at once. Once more there was pride in the team he was training who brightly show off the "Will of Fire" like now, horror as he realizes that they won't leave until they save him, an impossible task as he sees it, or die trying the most likely outcome, and guilt because he was the one who ingrained this into their young minds.

"You see that Kakashi they are going to die and it's all because of you," Zabuza said as he waited for the landward Genin to make their move.

" **Kage Bushin No Jutsu!"** Naruto yelled as several clones came into existence. That tossed and threw the real Naruto high and far into the air toward Zabuza and Kakashi!.

"NO NARUTO DON'T," Kakashi called out uselessly.

As Naruto came in close he yelled once more "Zabuza! Let go of our Sensei, **KAGE-BUSHIN NO JUTSU**!" four more Naruto's fell from the sky along with the original.

Zabuza had, for a moment the fleeting feeling, of fear when he saw the boy perform his signature technique once more, however, as Naruto was more physical the added bodies did nothing to help Kakashi out and Zabuza ended up smacking the Naruto's away across the water, Planning for this the boy dug into his backpack and yelled out to his teammate before going under, "Catch Sasuke!" Naruto tosses Sasuke what looks like a blade of some kind who catches it effortlessly as Naruto is submerged amongst the waves.

For briefest of moments, there was a noticeable hesitation in Sasuke before he unfolds the metal contraption that Naruto tossed. Two Fuma Shuriken in his hands Sasuke pivots his body back jumps and tosses the large projectiles across the river.

" **Kage shuriken no Jutsu** ," Sasuke says aloud but not enough for his voice to carry to Zabuza's ears.

The blades hum as they spin with deadly accuracy toward their intended goal. As the blades draw near Zabuza swings out with his free sword arm deflecting the first Shuriken harmlessly into the azure water below. Sasuke eyes widen in anticipation as the second shuriken, which had been hidden in the shadow of the first seems to have gone unnoticed by the demon of the mist. As luck would have it though Zabuza does catch sight of it within the last few seconds and jumps over it as it skids the water right below his feet. Had it hit Zabuza would be missing his ankles and below right now.

"Nice try kid hiding the second shuriken in the shadow of the first, but did you and the blonde brat really think this be enough to make me move?" Zabuza taunted feeling superior even more as he watched the last bit of hope leave Kakashi's eye of escaping.

"Yeah we did!," A voice rang out from behind causing both Kakashi and Zabuza to strain to look and watch in shock as the second shuriken puffed out of existence for Naruto to instead be in its place, "We will get our sensei back!" Naruto shouted as he lobbed a few kunai at Zabuza who due to angle and closeness of the attack had no choice but to release Kakashi to escape.

"THAT MY SASUKE!" Sakura gushed out with cheer as the demon of the mist sank into the wave. "Good job Naruto!" she added on though unable to hide the fact she had just now figured out how her other teammate had helped in rescuing their sensei.

"Hmpf,' Sasuke began with all to normal grunt, _"leave it to Naruto to come up with such an unpredictable strategy,"_ Sasuke thought with the tiniest of smiles on his face _. "Maybe teaming up with the Dobe was a blessing after all."_

"Way to go Naruto!" Lloyd called out weakly; Lloyd's legs shook before he fell to a seated position on the ground.

The rest of the fight was over rather quickly as Zabuza had come out of the water amongst the praises and tried to strike down Naruto for getting in the way of drowning Kakashi. Kakashi, of course, wouldn't let this happen and save Naruto from being split in two before facing off against Zabuza alone. While the two were far enough away that the rest couldn't hear Sasuke noticed that Kakashi had raised his headband up off his normally hidden eye, revealing none other than the Sharingan. The bloodline dojutsu that was unique to Sasuke's clan. After its reveal, Zabuza was easily beaten battered and bruised. Before Kakashi could finish him off however a Senbon was thrown hitting Zabuza in the neck. Kakashi watched as Zabuza fell over no longer breathing and by all looks was killed by the single throwing needle.

As Zabuza's body touches the ground, a new stranger appeared in between Kakashi and the corpse of the demon in the mist. The person had long black hair, wore a green haori with the olive colored pinstripe outfit underneath, typical of a Kirigakure shinobi, most of their hair was in a bun holder except two strands which were held in place by metal clips. Lastly, the new arrival had a mask on hiding their face with the symbol of Kirigakure etched into the forehead.

"Thank you for your assistance in capturing this man I was tasked with killing him, I'll take the body away now to destroy the remains. The masked person said in a slightly feminine voice.

Kakashi, who was on the verge of collapsing nodded weakly accepting the response but stopped the Hunter-nin, "That's fine with us glad we could help, however," The hunter-nin almost twitched when Kakashi paused. "Zabuza wasn't working alone as I'm sure you well know, one of our companions was injured by the Demon brothers who confirmed to be in Zabuza's employ."

"Yes we knew about the Demon Brothers but I don't see why you are bringing them up," the hunter-nin replied almost defensively.

"Now, now, no reason for us to fight I would just assume since you knew about the demon brothers you have a spare neutralizing agent for the poison they use after all we did help take down the demon of the mist and made your job so much easier," Kakashi replied with an eye smile. "I've used up too much chakra and don't know how much longer I can play 20 questions with this person."

"The antidote, just like the poison are secrets of Kirigakure and thus I can't give them to you," the hunter-nin replied matter of fact tone of voice _. "I guess those fools did some good after all after Zabuza-Sama is better it will be one less person to kill"_ The hunter-nin thought.

A small tick mark appeared above Kakashi's head though his eye smile never left his face, voice strained to be cheerful, "That's fine just administer it to our wounded companion here and now then you can be on your way."

 _"Damn….he is not going to let this go I can't fight them there's too many, I can't run because I have to take Zabuza-Sama with me,"_ After an uncomfortable amount of seconds passed before the Hunter-nin responded by throwing a small square of folded paper at Sakura of all people. "Mix with water and drink it all in one go, with that the hunter-nin and the body of Zabuza disappeared in a cloud of smoke not waiting to be dismissed.

"Tazuna, how much further till we get to a safe place?" Kakashi asked after he could no longer perceive the hunter-nin or see any other threats.

Tazuna who had been largely quiet through everything spoke in more neutral tone, having lost all the bravado and attitude after the run-in with the demon brothers, responded, "Just up the road is where I live you can stay there with us while you're here,"

Kakashi nodded in appreciation. "Good once we get Lloyd cured, we will head on our…" Kakashi couldn't finish his sentence as he fell over.

"SENSEI!" the three Genin cried in unison.

"W-what," Lloyd said as he watched Kakashi hit the ground before his own vision became fuzzy, the last thing he was aware of was the yell of his name as he felt gravity pull him from behind. His eye lids closing just as a flash of pink hair block out the sky before they fully shut.

The Group had arrived at Tazuna's house later than they had hoped, the sun having almost completely left the sky for the night account of having to carry two unconscious members of their group. When they did arrive, Tazuna's daughter and grandson were there to greet them. Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, greeted the three Genin of team 7 with a gentle smile and helped carry both Kakashi and Lloyd inside, Inari, her son, had just scoffed and ran off not wanting anything to do with the ninja's.

The first night was the hardest for team seven. With Kakashi out of commission, the three genin had to discuss what they would do. After the fight with Zabuza, Sakura was ready to call it quits with this C-rank mission from hell. The three Genin had come together in the living room to discuss what they do next.

"We should tell Kakashi-sensei to take us home. This mission is too much for us to handle." Sakura said to her teammates.

"We're staying," was Sasuke only response.

"You can't be serious Sasuke-Kun," Sakura replied, "we aren't ready for this staying here will get us killed!"

"Don't worry Sakura-Chan," Naruto spoke up, "I'll protect you."

Though hesitant to stay himself he accepted this mission and would see it through to the end.

"Besides Zabuza's dead and if Gato hires anyone else I'll destroy them," Sasuke said his confidence turned arrogance, "I won't be defeated until I kill that man."

"Naruto…Sasuke," Sakura began again, "we are only here cause we got lucky. If Kakashi-sensei hadn't been there we all have died when Zabuza first showed up, both of you would have died by those demon brothers if not for Kakashi-sensei and Lloyd."

Sasuke stood up with a loud stomp of his feet startling his two teammates. "Are you saying that failure who was kicked out after one day is stronger than me!" Sasuke took a hostile step toward the jade eyed girl. "Answer me, weakling."

Sakura tried to sink further back into her seat, though she didn't think of it now later she would find the irony in the fact that she was able to get his attention only after he took what she said as an insult. "I'm sorry but I don't want to die Sasuke, and you can't fill your ambition if your dead thanks to some Kiri Demon missing-nin comes for revenge for his or her comrades.

Naruto, though he knew Sakura wasn't talking about him couldn't help but feel pain when he heard her shout demon.

"Shut your mouth you weak and useless waste of space," Sasuke replied back. "the only one who is going to get themselves killed out here is you Sakura," He looks at Naruto before giving a dark smirk. "Sorry you and him unless you die first so he won't have to protect you anymore." He returned to looking at Sakura "Face it your nothing but a Flat-chested, scrawny weak little bi…"

Sasuke didn't get to finish before a fist hit him dead center of his face. While not powerful to knock him out or even to hurt that much, the person connected to that fist was none other than Lloyd.

"You made your point Teme, why don't you go cool off somewhere," Lloyd said through ragged breaths, his head spinning as right now even a half-assed punch like that would wind him.

Surprisingly, Sasuke's only retort for this was to stare hard at Lloyd in a threatening glance before huffing and heading out of the house, "Just stay out of my way Lloyd, and you too Dobe."

"Damn it Teme I'll kick your ass!" Naruto shouted out as he got up to follow him before looking back at Sakura, "Don't listen to him Sakura-Chan if anything happens I'll protect you and stay alive." He gave her his trademark grin before exiting Sharing a knowing glance with Lloyd as he went by.

Sakura for her part was doing her best and failing to keep the painful tears back after Naruto left a weak smile on her face as she thought _"I don't want to be protected though, If anything I want to protect you two, and not need protecting all the time."_

Lloyd's loud haggard breaths were the only sounds in the room now to accompany the sniffling of Sakura. Lloyd debated on what he should do, the Naruto side of him wanted him to comfort the girl much like Naruto tried to do before he left, but the other side of him, the side that still resented the girl for her words about Naruto a few months back, wanted him to continue where Sasuke had stopped. So torn was he in this the only thing he came to the conclusion to do was to walk away and head back to the room he had woken up in.

"That's it your just going to leave like that," A timid voice said from behind him. "Not going to say I told you so, or finish what Sasuke was saying." The pink girl continued hotly.

Lloyd turned around and was surprised to see Sakura standing there right behind him. "Well?" she asked but to Lloyd sounded like a demand.

"No," was his response.

That one word stopped Sakura in her tracks as she stared at Lloyd's unblinking eyes before Lloyd turned away and began to walk back upstairs when his vision began to blur once more.

"What…I don't feel so good." Lloyd said before passing out once more Sakura snapped out of her pity party when she saw Lloyd Swaying and rushes to him getting to his side just in time to keep him from falling onto the ground.

Sakura yells out Lloyd's name causes the back door to open and a hurried Tsunami to rush in.

"What's he doing out of bed," Tsunami asked as she helped pick Lloyd up.

"I don't know I think he might have heard us talking down here and he came to check where he was," Sakura explained.

The two women rushed Lloyd back to bed. "Is he going to be alright?"

Sakura asked as she saw Lloyd was now sweating.

"I don't know," Tsunami honestly answered "It be easier if we had an antidote he would be all right but without it, we have to hope it wasn't a lethal dose and he will wake up in due time.

Sakura stopped before rushing to her backpack, luckily because of space Sakura's stuff was in this room as well. Quickly she scrambled through until she found a small envelope with said antidote.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Sakura now sniffled, "I forgot the hunter-nin that took Zabuza's body away had given this to us. The Kunoichi and the mother of one sat Lloyd up and administered the antidote.

"We'll have to keep close eye on him and hope we weren't too late." Tsunami said turning to look at Sakura, who was already gone from her side and was right by Lloyd's. "So cute young love," Tsunami innerly squealed hoping for the best for the two.

 _"You better not die on me, Lloyd."_ Sakura thought as she stared at the boy a few tears escaped her face unknowingly causing Tsunami to gush once more. "…You were right what you said about me and I'm going to change that with you there to watch as I become someone who could pull the same crazy stunt you did and NOT end up gravely injured."

The next day Kakashi woke up much to the relief of his team. After a small meeting about everything, Kakashi had to face the most likely truth that Zabuza was still alive, a thought that made the three genin shiver and would be able to come back for revenge within a week's time if he was as dangerous as lead to believe. In order to face this threat, Kakashi had his team work on their chakra control so as to not fall to the same thing he was in fact now suffering from and maybe just maybe being able to fire one more jutsu off before being empty could change things. However, because the possibility was still there for someone to attack Tazuna, Kakashi had created a schedule of guard shifts for the day today. Sakura, as it turns out, had near perfect chakra control, due to her almost less than average pool, and was on guard duty the most of the three genin. Though this was a mixed bag for Sakura having found the resolve to get stronger she wanted more time to train but knew she couldn't jeopardize the mission she would have to make the time she did train count. On a positive note, the look she saw from Sasuke who had called her useless was one she cherish always as the first time she one-up one of her nay-sayers.

Lloyd, however, was out of it till midafternoon of the second day they were there. When he did awake he was greeted by the warm motherly smile of Tsunami as she was sponging off his forehead cleaning up the sweat he had, on the other hand, another fever the following day because of the poison. Thankfully, given enough time the fox's chakra and the antidote were able to cleanse Lloyd of the toxic substance.

"W-Who are you… where am I?" Lloyd asked after finding his voice and daring to speak.

Tsunami gave him a gentle smile as she brought her hands back to her lap speaking in a soft motherly tone. "I'm Tazuna's daughter Tsunami and you are in our home. The ninja from your village brought you here a few days ago after what I was told to have been a very dangerous journey. What's the last thing you remember?"

Lloyd closed his eyes as he tried to think back and for a few seconds could not come up with anything before he had a burst of clarity and remember everything that had transpired two days prior. "I remember leaving the village taking a contracted job to build a bridge… we were attacked twice by some missing-nins… The first two had claws and," Lloyd's brow furrows as he recalls, "I got hurt…poisoned by the first two and the last one almost beheaded me," He opens his eyes in shock, "THE Poison!"

Tsunami cuts in at this moment as Lloyd tried to push himself off the bed; she softly yet firmly pushes the boy back down with the sponge and his forehead. "Lie back down and get your strength back." She demands leaving him with no room to argue disarming the teen from struggling further. "Sakura-Chan made sure you got the antidote and wouldn't actually leave your side the first night you all stayed here" She chuckles to herself before gushing, "While I think you're both still a little young it's still nice to see such devotion in a young couple."

Lloyd's eyes grew wider than saucer plates at hearing this and he vigorously shakes his head, "N-no we aren't like that we hate each other."

Now it's Tsunami's turn to be stunned staring down at the teen as she took in what she just heard before she shook her head and started laughing, "And I thought only children confused feelings of love for hate." She continues to laugh as she prepares to leave the room, "Stay here and rest tonight when everyone gets home well see how you're feeling and go from there." Without waiting for a reply she wiped a few tears that escaped from her laughing ignoring the now blushing teen in the only bed in the room. She walks to the door and leaves the young man frustrating him to no end he blames Naruto for having plague his mind once more.

For Naruto and Sasuke the two spent the day trying to master the tree walking exercise with minimal results, Sakura had spent half the day with the two boys before taking up one of many guard shifts at the bridge with Kakashi, Tsunami made dinner for everyone noticing that with more mouths than normal she run out of food and mentally took note to ask her father to do some shopping on his way home the following evening. Lloyd stayed in his room attempting to fall back asleep only for Sakura to dance in his head electing a groan of frustration from him each time once he realized he fallen into the daydreams. The day for most was uneventful, but for two Missing-nins, in an undisclosed location hidden in the forest, today was anything but uneventful. Due to the damage, he sustained in his fight with Kakashi, and the point of impact of the hunter-nin's senbon, the demon of the Mist, Zabuza, was bedridden. He was unable to even lift his arm without strenuous effort. Thankfully, for him, he was being taken care of by his subordinate, his tool, the hunter-nin and was making a steady recovery to fighting strength.

"Haku, I told you to not use that point to fake my death," Zabuza growled out to the hunter-nin.

"I'm sorry Zabuza-Sama, had I not done so Kakashi would have finished you," Haku responded with a hint of mirth in voice one Zabuza was keenly aware of.

"Hmpf" Zabuza grunted not able to argue this fact. Both suddenly turned toward the direction of the door before shouting could be heard from the other side.

"Where is he where is that failure." The commotion outside got louder as the shouter grew closer suddenly the room the two missing-nins occupied was open to rest of the compound as the door that separated the two was kicked open. A short man with wild dirty blonde hair, Dressed professionally with a crisp black suit matching shoes, shades, and cane walked in followed by two thugs wielding swords. Haku and Zabuza both rolled their eyes at the newest of headaches for that day.

Back at Tazuna's house later that evening Tsunami had informed her father of the food shortage they be facing and he agreed to stop at the shops the following day on the way home as by the time he gets back to them tonight the shops would be closed. Everyone not on bed rest was now seated at the kitchen table to eat a simple meal of fish and rice. Well, that was the plan however from Sakura to Inari, everyone watched in morbid curiosity, with eyes as big as deer's in headlights, at the way both Sasuke and Naruto were devouring everything in front of them.

"Is that normal?" Tsunami asked as there was a pause between the two bottomless pits who were death glaring at each other.

No one could respond as the two started up once more each grabbing a roll and stuffing it in their faces. Sasuke soon began to choke and grabbed his water to drink and dislodge the food. Naruto burst out laughing at Sasuke's peril before finally, Sakura had enough.

"Sasuke…Naruto" she growled out causing Naruto to look at her in panic as that tone usually meant he was about to get hurt, Sasuke, on the other hand, ignored the female member of his team, as he normally does, "EAT WITH MANNERS IDIOTS!" Sakura shouted as she punched both Sasuke and Naruto on the head. This while painful was not the reason for the now stunned silence as no one on team 7 would ever think that Sakura would hit Sasuke.

"S-S-Sakura-Chan" Naruto began forgetting about being hit himself, "You hit Sasuke."

Sakura made direct eye contact with Naruto and still in angry shout, "That's because you both are being rude now apologizing to Tsunami for the meal!"

 ** _"SHANNARO"_** inner Sakura exclaimed. "That's right I'm going to whip the both of you into gentlemen!"

"T-that's alright Sakura-Chan," Tsunami said with a forced smile and sweat drop, "I'm just glad they enjoy it after all. This was on deaf ears however as Sakura was busy ranting to her two teammates about their poor manners and eating etiquettes.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile at this, "Good their all growing and the bonds are getting stronger," He watched as Sakura put Naruto into a headlock strangling him, and was unaware of what Sasuke said the day before. "Sakura I think Naruto had enough, we don't need another person on bed rest after all."

Kakashi's comment had the desired effect of having Sakura let go Naruto and the three genin returned to their food Sasuke and Naruto both eating in more reserved way now which caused Tazuna, Tsunami, and Kakashi to chuckle. This, of course, earned Kakashi two glares from both boys who only received an eye smile in return.

"Oh speaking of bedrest," Tsunami said as what Kakashi said jogged her memory, "Lloyd is now awake I told him to stay resting today but he is probably up if you want to go see him." While she didn't say this she looked toward Sakura and gave her a small wink that didn't go unnoticed by either the green-eyed genin or her jounin sensei.

 _"Hmm wonder what that's about."_ Kakashi thought as he watched Tsunami pull another plate out of a cover off the kitchen counter.

"In fact, the boy's probably starving, I'll be right back after I give this to him" Tsunami turned to head for the front room and stairs when Tazuna spoke up.

"Great then tomorrow the freeloader can start doing the job I hired him for."

Tsunami stopped and turned around with a creepy smile on her face, "Really DAD, who was it that lied to Konoha and Lloyd about the dangers here," Tsunami said in a chillingly sweet but deadly tone.

Now to some, Tazuna was just a bridge builder from a poor village in wave country, others would say he was a coward and a cheat. One thing they all agree on was that Tazuna knew how to survive. As Tazuna had lived a long life, not as long as the Sandaime, but a long one none the less. Thing is you don't live a long life like Tazuna's without learning to see the occasional death flag every now and then. This was one of those times as he felt the killing intent behind his daughter's smile and the bite in every word she just said. So being the wise man that he was he did the only thing he could do in times like this and survive….he forced a cough, looked away from his daughter's piercing gaze that would even make Ibiki sweat… and shut up.

When Tsunami was sure her dad wasn't going to say any more she turned back around to head upstairs when a thought occurred to her and she asked allowed while turning back around. "Sakura-Chan would you take this to Lloyd I ask Naruto or Sasuke to do it but they probably eat it before getting it to his room."

Sakura smiled and nodded "Yes Mam." Sakura was done eating anyway so she got up and took the plate.

"Oh and remember Sakura no funny business you may be considered an adult in your village but your still too young to be having little Lloyd's and Sakura's running around. The walls aren't thick so we will hear you two if you make things squeak." Tazuna whispered to the Pinkette causing her to blush bright red in embarrassment before she hurried upstairs with the food. Not even a half second later the group could hear the door to Lloyd's bedroom quickly open and close again.

"Whoa, I didn't know Sakura could run like that" Naruto exclaimed shocked by the pinkette speed, "what did you say to her?"

"Oh nothing just a little girl talk" Tsunami smiled and chuckled to herself.

In Lloyd's room, Lloyd was staring up at the ceiling in sheer and utter boredom, he had tried to go back to sleep all day but had been unsuccessful. That having been said he wasn't about to go against what Tsunami had asked of him earlier that day when he woke up. Luckily, or unluckily that changed when the door to his room was quickly opened and the lone female of team seven rushed in with a plate of food.

Sakura stared at Lloyd red-faced and hand full of food.

Lloyd stared at Sakura eyeing the food as his stomach let out a growl causing Lloyd to look away embarrassed. Sakura calms down and walks over handing Lloyd the food "Tsunami thought you might be hungry, on the other hand, so she had me bring you this."

Lloyd slowly takes the plate, "Oh…um…thanks?"

Sakura is silent for a moment the awkwardness in the room weighing heavy on them both, "your welcome…I'm going to go now before Naruto and Sasuke go at it again."

Before she can leave Lloyd speaks up. "Again are they getting into fights with each other now?"

Sakura shakes her head "No no…I mean yeah they fight but not fight you know?" She huffs as she fails at explaining what she means. "It's more like their competing against one another."

Lloyd takes a few bites of the food as he nods his head in understanding and nonchalantly said, "Naruto's first step in becoming Hokage is to be like Sasuke."

Sakura deadpanned stared at Lloyd. "Really, I hadn't noticed Sasuke wearing an orange jumpsuit all the time and shouting I'll be Hokage Believe it." She finished with a poorly imitated Naruto's voice.

Lloyd shook his head as the idea of Sasuke dressed as Naruto, "That's not what I mean…look at your team Sakura why was it you three were put together on a team?

Sakura thought for a moment, "Isn't it because Sasuke the best and Naruto's the worst and every graduating class they seem to put the best with the worst?"

Lloyd nods but then asks, "Why do you think that is though?"

Sakura thought for a moment about this question, truth be told she thought of this as well but after Iruka-sensei had told her the same thing she told Lloyd she stopped questioning it, well not stopped questioning it but had accepted the answer none the less. "Is it so if something goes wrong Sasuke could protect and cover Naruto so the blonde idiot doesn't get killed?"

Lloyd shakes his head but keeps his cool, "If that was the case why pass Naruto to begin with he be more of a liability and could get him and his team killed."

Sakura smiles as if she and Lloyd agree on something, "Exactly why did Naruto pass anyway he will only get Sasuke hurt or worst…"

Before Sakura can go any further Lloyd stops her, "I'm not agreeing with you I'm pointing out where your reasoning for Sasuke and Naruto is wrong."

Sakura growls, "oh yeah if you think I'm wrong then why would the three of us be put together freeloader it did then!"

Lloyd sits back and thinks out loud "I think it's so that they would act like they are now," He looks over to Sakura who gives him a confused look and continues "well think about it for Naruto whose dream is to become the Hokage he has to be one of the strongest if not the strongest ninja in the village. So how can he go to accomplish that if there isn't someone who he can measure to?"

"He could measure himself to the Hokage now," Sakura responded.

Lloyd shook his head, "not really…when is the last time you saw the Hokage fight?" Sakura didn't pose a response right away as she thought on it Lloyd continued, "Look at it this way it's like how you and Ino fight over Sasuke remember that one week a year ago when Ino came in with new make-up. The next day you came in with a new dress." Sakura eyes widen in realization as Lloyd trails off while motioning his hands on and on.

"You mean that Naruto was put with Sasuke so they would compete and try to outdo each other," Sakura thinks about it before continuing her arms crossed over her chest with one hand propping her chin, "if applied to training then…the two would continue to get stronger trying to beat the other. For Naruto, it would be the recognition of beating the best of his year's graduating class and for Sasuke it would be the humiliation of being beaten by the dead last." Lloyd nodded as this was what he was getting at. "But what if Naruto were to die or, "She gasps as she recalls the genjutsu that Kakashi had placed her in of the dying Sasuke, "What if Sasuke were to get seriously hurt and couldn't continue."

Lloyd instead of answering her question rolls his eyes, "what if Sasuke decides to quit being a ninja, what if Kakashi decides Naruto doesn't have what it takes, What if, what if, what if." Lloyd stopped taking a calming breath, "It's not the perfect plan for every year's best and worst student, it's not perfect for every team…but for these two it probably is the best way to draw out their full potential, Sasuke has to much pride to allow Naruto to surpass him, Naruto has an indomitable will that will never break."

Both Sakura and Lloyd were silent after this neither one saying so much as a whisper. Sakura wanted to find fault in this logic find some way to disprove Lloyd because if she didn't then that would mean that eventually, Naruto would have to be better than Sasuke…even if that was only for a day, to Sakura she honestly believed the world would end. Yet the more she thought about it the more the world seemed to shatter around her, she started recalling little things at first of times when Naruto was strong, brave, quick-witted, or even quite brilliant. These filled her with more and more dread and yet hope as it was further proof that one day Naruto would surpass her avenger teammate.

Lloyd finished the last of his food as Sakura seemed to be in a daze, he noticed the way her almost neutral expression seemed to change for the briefest of moments to sheer horror but eyes filled with a want for whatever she was thinking to come true. It was only the briefest of moments however it happened enough times to make Lloyd sweat in fear himself at what he could only guess was going on in Sakura's mind.

Just then a question popped into Sakura's head and she asked it allowed not having meant to continue talking this over with Lloyd but he would respond anyway. "If Naruto and Sasuke are supposed to be friends, rivals, why am I on the team?"

Lloyd, not thinking about it just says the first thing that comes to his mind, "No Genin team has only two members sans the Jounin instructor you just fill that spot.

Now Lloyd hasn't lived a long life like Tazuna and the Sandaime Hokage, even with ,\ living, through Naruto's memories, also thanks to those two lives of mostly solitude… his preservation of self is a bit a skewed, to a point that he is unable to see the death flags of saying certain things to the fairer sex. Still, be that as it may, even he was able to fill something was dangerously wrong as the temperature of the room seemed to drop by 10 degrees. Before he could figure out what was truly wrong a fist came flying into his face.

"How dare you call me a THIRD WHEEL," Sakura screeched out as she wound up to hit Lloyd again.

"SHANNARO," inner Sakura screamed, "Just die you asshole!"

For the next few minutes, the entire house shook with righteous fury. Wails of pain could be heard coming from Lloyd as promises of more pain was heard from Sakura. This was of course in between the rumbling and the sounds of violent punches kicks and stuff being tossed about. The men in the house wisely… saw the death flag if they did anything to help Lloyd out so they didn't. Though each one gave a small prayer for Lloyd's soul as a fellow brother in arms, it should be noted, however, that Tsunami, while this was going on, had a strangely cute smile on her face with jovial closed eyes.

"AHH young love." She giggled as everyone else sweatdropped, all have the same thought if all women were this crazy.

The house soon stopped shaking and all was quiet till everyone heard a door roughly opened and then a body come tumbling down the stairs. Everyone besides Tsunami was filled with dread when the body rolled into view in front of the archway separating kitchen from front room. The sound of monstrous stomps was heard soon after Lloyd rolled no more before Sakura's head peaked around the corner.

"I'm taking Lloyd outside with me to help him with some light training and stretching to help ease away the weakness from being in bed a couple of days," She said with a disarming smile.

"Of course dear," Tsunami said before Kakashi could interrupt. "Don't stay out too late though as Lloyd still has to work in the morning" Tsunami had on a now matching smile.

Sakura reached down and grabbed ahold of Lloyd's leg dragging him out toward the front door. One of the guys on her team might be surprised by her sudden strength if not for how terrified they were of her in this part of time. any more

"Why do you all try so hard it's all pointless" Inari cried out as he removes his hands from the table and puts them down at his side. "Gato is going to kill you all. No amount of training is going to change that! The weak will only be killed by the strong!" by time Inari is done with his rant Lloyd has gotten up off the ground not as injured as he first looked as the mood drastically changes in the household.

"I don't care what you say I'm going to save this village become a hero and get the respect in my own village by becoming Hokage, believe it!" Naruto shouted back in defiance.

"Didn't you hear me it's pointless there no such thing as heroes, you're just going to stay weak and…" Inari shouted back but was cut off by Naruto slamming his hand on the table startling the young fatalist.

"Don't tell me it's pointless living with family that's still alive." Naruto said with unnatural edge in his voice, "You live every day with your mom and grandfather and complain about how life isn't fair and how useless it is. Yet you haven't lost every member of your family in one horrible night, having their legacy thrust upon you as the sole heir and how you have to live up to what they left behind."

Sasuke mumbles Naruto's name surprised by how much the dead last of their academy years new of his pain. Sakura, who came back to the archway, sees the little boy shaking and even though may deserve a reality check couldn't stop her from wanting to comfort the boy. She goes to take a step into the kitchen but a look from Tsunami stops her right before a hand from Lloyd lightly grabs her shoulder also holding her back.

"I hate people like you the most!" Naruto continued, "Always whining and complaining about their lives trying to tell me how I should feel hopeless, without ever looking at how good they really have it!"

With that Naruto leaves the house before anyone can say anything else as Inari is fighting back and failing to hold back his tears, keeping his head down in shame. Lloyd soon as well leaves out of the house after Naruto with Sakura in hand. She offers no resistance as he leads her out to wherever they were going to do the light training.

"I can't apologize for what my young genin said…" Kakashi began as he gave those who remained in the household a glimpse into the hellish nightmare of Naruto Uzumaki's past.

Lloyd and Sakura are soon in front of some tall trees similar to the ones team 7 had practiced at earlier. Sakura who was still shell-shocked by Naruto's response just stared blankly ahead lost in thought. Lloyd was silent but even a child could see he was quietly raging in anger. Lloyd did a few light stretches and had pulled out a scroll and bit his thumb causing it to bleed before opening the scroll and smearing his blood against the symbols inside. With a flex of his chakra, two loud pops echoed in the woods as two Metal blades appeared in place of the scroll.

The noise brought Sakura back to the elemental nations "Those swords…" Sakura eyes widen in realization, _"Lloyd can do Fuinjutsu! That's how the clone had those blades from before."_ Sakura guessed correctly that when the Lloyd clone destroyed the Zabuza clone's sword one of the Popping sounds was the swords being unsealed, and being Kawarimi with a stick from Lloyd to the clone in front of her.

Lloyd started to swing the swords around in no uniformed way, it was quickly clear to his companion that Lloyd had never actually used the blades before, or had any professional training. Her eyes open in realization once more and she fell to her knees, _"Oh Kami, the only reason I'm not in two and lying on the side of a road somewhere is because of sheer dumb luck."_

Lloyd swung around bringing one sword in high over swing arc, as his gaze comes before the blade he stops as soon just a hairs width away from striking Sakura who seems to faint on her feet in fear. Lloyd sweat drops at this and sheathes his swords before returning them to the scroll once more. After a few minutes, Sakura comes to and yells at Lloyd. First for him being a brain dead monkey, then for almost getting her killed, next though tied in with the last one was about trying to act cooler than Sasuke when he saved her from the clone, finally a rehash of earlier about Lloyd roundabout way of calling her a third wheel.

Lloyd during this time can't get a word in edgewise and though he wanted to shout back at her…he was actually now a little afraid of what she could do to him. So tonight at least he would allow her to rant after she was finished. Sakura went to prove how she was more than a placeholder on the team and runs straight up the tree the two were standing in front Wikia.

"Now do you think I'm useless?" Sakura shouted down to Lloyd. "Be amazed by my skills," Sakura said with a cocky laugh.

Lloyd now was slightly impressed he had no idea how she had done the feat he just watched however after everything that happened a few days ago he wasn't THAT impressed so in a lackluster voice, he asked, "Oh i-is that all? After watching both Kakashi and Zabuza walk across the lake you running up a tree isn't so cool I guess?"

Sakura not happy with that answer yells back, "Oh yeah well if you think it's so simple and uncool let's see you do it you idiot!"

"I would but I don't know where to begin," Lloyd responded eagerly to prove he would perform the same feat with instruction.

"Figure it out you…" Sakura began until the branch she was sitting on snaps and she begins to fall "AHHHHH"

Lloyd not thinking on it runs at the tree and tosses one blade ahead of him. Thankfully, the blade sinks deep enough to hold in place and he uses it as a springboard to jump in the air to catch Sakura one arm cradling around her back the other wrapping around the hook of her legs. Sakura instinctively wraps her arms around Lloyd's neck burying her face into his shoulder. Both come down with loud thump due to their combined weight; however, Lloyd never let go of Sakura. The two young adults stayed motionless with their eyes closed wondering if it was over before tentatively they opened their eyes. Sakura face becomes bright red as she realizes how Lloyd has her in his arms in a bridal carry.

"Are you alright Saku…." Lloyd started as he then stared down at the female ninja only to get lost looking in her eyes. "Beautiful…" Lloyd says not even noticing he said anything.

Sakura hears this and her blush becomes three shades darker and more intense. Lloyd sees this and blushes himself as it dawns on him that he did say something to cause that reaction. Slowly, Lloyd lowers Sakura's feet to the ground so she can stand. Sakura lets out a small noise of disappointment that Sasuke both to blush again before she quickly releases his neck to turn around and get her emotions back under control.

Sakura's heart was beating fast as a joyous flame was burning in her very soul, "I don't love Lloyd, I don't love Lloyd."

Lloyd, on the other hand, is cursing out Naruto as he is sure the only reason he feels like this is because of him. After a little bit both turn back to the other avoiding each other's gazes, both have their blushes under control enough to get back to what they were doing.

"So…umm" Lloyd began, "would you show me where, to begin with this tree walking…" his voice not having or masking any hate or anger when talking with the pink hair girl for once.

Sakura thought for a moment before nodding her head and explaining it like how Kakashi did to team seven, she also went into further details on how the chakra should feel parting the same knowledge she gave Naruto earlier that day.

Lloyd much like team seven attempted the tree walking exercise with Sakura watching him. They wouldn't be able to stay out too late as both have early days the following day. Still with a little coxing Lloyd was able to get Sakura to perform the exercise more than once in order to marginally increase her chakra reserves.

An hour went by and while the Lloyd still had and wanted to continue. Sakura had convinced him it was late and that they both needed to get some rest, She gave him 10 more minutes before heading back. Even though Lloyd was not required in any sense to listen to Sakura or abide by her time constraint he agreed nonetheless. Sakura, who just been resting for last 10 minutes, had a sudden flash of cognition of something Lloyd said earlier, slowly the pit of fear began to rise in her stomach. Tentatively she asked, "Lloyd, how did you know about Ino and my self's week-long fashion fight?

 **A/N: About time right? What did you think of the Sakulloyd, SakuraxLloyd, at the end? Pairings have yet to be decided if you want to put your two cents in on that leave it with your review. Anyway, next chapter will finish up the mission in wave country; Next story update will probably be for my AU Tales of Symphonia story Bargain Ally. I've also released a one-shot earlier this month 14 characters if you haven't read them yet give them a peak.**

 **Oh and to Cobalt: I've tried with all the reviews I've gotten to send a message back to the reviewer one as a thank you for reviewing and also to answer some of the questions that have come up, but since your review was as a guest I couldn't do that so it's here. First, though the reason the review wasn't showing up was because I had at some point turned off guest reviews for my stories. As you can see that has been fixed and your review now shows. To answer your question about the Itachi books, it's possible during that chapter I had to look up information on Danzo and the council and was looking on a Wikia page.**

 **Also, Thanks for the review!**


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